Captive
by NinaRoja
Summary: What if Mufasa survived the fall during the stampede, and the only way for Scar to become King and avoid exile is to hold Simba hostage? Based on a dream of mine. AU. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

**Hello All!**

**I had a dream about two or so months ago about Scar holding Simba hostage in return for becoming King of the Pridelands. Being the sort of person who makes up stories in my head while I'm trying to get to sleep, the fragments of my dream that I could remember began to form into a fully fledged story. I intended to keep it to myself, but today I decided that I'd like to share it, as I think it would make for an interesting read. **

**Anyway, ONWARD!**

**What if Mufasa survived the fall during the stampede, and the only way for Scar to become King and avoid exile was to hold Simba hostage..? **

**Captive**

**Prologue**

"Kill him."

The order seemed to echo through the gorge, despite the fact that it was barely more than a whisper. The hyenas bounded off into the mist in pursuit of the cub, tongues hanging out and teeth bared.

Scar turned once more to survey the fallen king. He could have been sleeping. He almost thought that he felt a twinge of regret for what he had done, but he ignored it. As he turned to return to pride rock to inform the lionesses of the news, a noise caused him to stop in his tracks.

Coming from behind him, he heard a muffled grunt. He quickly and quietly crept into the shadows where his dark pelt helped him to not be seen. He could barely believe his eyes.

Mufasa stood up on shaky legs. He was covered in cuts and bruises where the wildebeest had hit him. He looked around.

"Scar?"

Scar remained silent.

"Simba?" he cried with more urgency.

He tried to take a few steps, and after being successful, walked to the side of the gorge to a low platform. After eventually climbing on top of it, he headed towards Pride rock.

Scar's seemingly flawless plan was now ruined. He would be exiled for sure. He racked his brains for ideas as to how to get himself out of this mess.

Then he thought of it.

_Use the cub._


	2. The Chase

**Hey all! I'm hoping that the prologue got you interested! I want this fic to be quite long, maybe 20+ chapters (though I'm not sure at this point). I'll do my best to write often but as school is starting up again soon and it's my GCSE year (if you don't live in the UK they're an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT set of exams that are going to dictate my future) I can't make too many promises. **

Chapter One: The Chase

"Run away and never return…"

That's what his uncle had said. Simba was running along the gorge, which mere minutes before had been alive with the sound of hundreds of panicked wildebeests. His father was dead, it was his fault, and now he couldn't ever go home. The thought of Nala and his mother and what they would think of him when they found out what he had done made a lump form in his throat.

He ran a little longer, and was faced with a sheer rock wall. He stood; breathing heavily, wondering what he should do next. As he was about to make his move, a sound behind him distracted him. He turned his head to look, and was immediately faced with three snarling hyenas. Obeying his first instinct, he took off at a rapid sprint, and began to climb the rocks. He heard scrabbling behind him and he knew the hyenas were following. He could smell their breath as they gave chase.

He reached the top of the ravine, and sprinted onwards. He had only been running for a few seconds when he skidded to a halt. He was teetering on the edge of a cliff, and at the bottom, far below, was a forest of thorns, twisting in every direction. As he stood there trying to decide what to do, he cast a look behind him. Suddenly, a hyena loomed out of no where. Figuring that he would die anyway, and would rather break his neck than be ripped to shreds, he hurled himself over the edge of the cliff.

But he was too late.

He was in mid air, with the previous two days' events flashing before his eyes, he felt razor sharp teeth sinking into one of his hind legs. With a squeal of pain, he swung around and rammed into the side of the cliff. He struggled to get free, but to no avail. He could hear the three hyenas cackling from on the plateau.

"Nice catch, Shenzi!"

He was lifted back onto the plateau and roughly dropped onto the ground.

"Ok, let's get this over with. I'm hungry," said the one called Shenzi.

"Please," squeaked a terrified Simba, "don't hurt me."

The hyenas echoed with laughter.

"Ok, kid," said the one who wasn't laughing, "we won't hurt you."

"Really?" asked Simba hopefully. The false bravery he had felt at the elephant graveyard was now gone.

"Nah, we're still gonna eat you."

As they began to close in on the petrified lion cub, a voice, seemingly out of no where, sounded.

"Stop!"

They all looked around, and Scar stood there.

Relief washed over Simba like a wave.

"Uncle Scar!" he cried, running towards him. Scar placed a "protective" paw around his nephew.

"There-there, Simba," he said, "you're safe now."

The hyenas, however, were indignant.

"But, boss!" cried the one that Simba now remembered to be called Banzai, "you told us to kill him!"

Scar hurriedly tried to get him to be quiet, but it was too late. Simba had heard him.

He took a step back from his uncle.

"Boss…? Kill…?"

Scar's face was now twisted into an evil smile, and now Simba understood everything.

"Hel-"

He was cut short. As soon as he had opened his mouth, Scar shot out a paw. It clamped down over the cub's muzzle, and pinned him against Scar's other foreleg.

As Simba struggled against the adult lion's grasp, he addressed the hyenas.

"My brother lives."

Simba's muffled squeals were silenced. His father was alive?

"What do you know," said Banzai, "_another_ plan down the drain."

"Silence, you fool!" yelled Scar, "I have another plan."

"Tell us," said Shenzi, "but hurry it up, I'm starving."

"When this plan is through, you won't ever be hungry again," said Scar darkly.

The hyenas were suddenly intrigued.

"Treason against the king is punishable by exile, or even death, yes?"

"Yeah, so..?"

"What if there were a deal breaker?" he said, looking down at the struggling Simba at his feet.

The hyenas understood what was going on, and cackled loudly.

And while they did so, Scar leaned down so that his lips were brushing Simba's ear.

Then, in a terrifying whisper, he said, "you're going to help me got what I want, Simba."

With that, he picked up the trembling cub, and led the hyenas towards the elephant graveyard. He cast a look towards Pride Rock, and laughed inwardly.

By the end of the night, it would be his.


	3. Betrayal of Trust

I've just checked my stats, 44 visits in one day! I'm very happy, and hope the chapters will get longer as the story progresses!

Chapter Two: Betrayal of Trust

Mufasa was limping across the pridelands, completely oblivious to the terrifying situation his son now found himself in. The pain in his body was overwhelming. He had several broken and cracked ribs, his fur was covered with dried blood, and some wounds were still bleeding. His paws ached, but he needed to get home and warn the others. Scar could not be trusted.

After what seemed hours he reached Pride Rock. He slowly climbed up the rocks that acted as stairs. When he reached the top, he felt exhausted. He cast a look around the vicinity and saw several lionesses, some with cubs. Sarabi was among them.

She saw him and smiled, but it was gone in an instant. She darted towards him.

"Mufasa! Sweet Aiheu what happened?"

He looked at her, and, before he could say anything, collapsed onto the ground.

"Honeytree? Oh my Gods…"

She called for the other lionesses, and together they helped the king to his feet and inside the den. As he laid down, Sarabi began to lick his wounds, and he explained to them all what had happened. How Scar had come to him, telling him that Simba was in danger. About the stampede, and how he had managed to get Simba out. About how he had been pulled back in by the panicked wildebeest and how he had climbed up the cliff to find Scar standing over him.

"When I got to the top, Scar was there. I called out for him to help me and-"

"What happened, Honeytree?"

"Scar…" the words caught in his throat, "Scar threw me from the cliff."

A resounding gasp echoed throughout the den.

"Scar is not who we thought he was," Mufasa said, his voice filled with regret, "we have accepted him, trusted him, and he has betrayed that trust."

"What will happen to him?" It was Sarafina, Nala's mother, who spoke this time.

"He will be exiled," Mufasa began.

"Exiled?" cried a lioness, "I say we kill him!"

Several others yowled in agreement.

"No," Mufasa said sharply, "despite the severity of the situation, Scar is still my brother. I cannot kill my own flesh and blood."

"That wasn't going to stop him."

Mufasa sighed. What he really wanted right now was to rest and recover from the day's events. Sarabi sensed this, and shooed the other lionesses away from him.

When they had all gone, she spoke again.

"Mufasa, where is Simba?"

He looked into his mate's face. She looked afraid.

He searched for the right words to say to her. He found none.

"I don't know," he said.

Sarabi gasped.

"He is alive," he assured her, "I got him out of the stampede."

"You don't know that," she said, her voice wavering, "what if Scar-"

She did not finish. Her eyes had filled with tears.

Mufasa tried to think of what to say, but could not. Instead, he put his head over hers and tried to comfort her.

Meanwhile, Scar, Simba and the hyenas had arrived at the Elephant Graveyard. Simba recognised where they were, and could not think why he had ever wished to come here. He was carried deeper into the graveyard than he and Nala had ventured, and there seemed no sign of life anywhere.

He was wrong, for as they walked deeper, hyenas began to appear, and cackles could be heard in the distance. Upon spotting the cub, they began to salivate heavily, and began to follow them. Eventually, they entered a cavern, and Simba gasped.

The place was simply teeming with hyenas of every shape, size and age. Some were sleeping, some fighting over scraps of meat and others were chomping on giant bones, their powerful jaws crushing through them in one bite. When they entered, their arrival was met exactly as it had been outside, and every hyena began to congregate around Scar.

Suddenly, he leapt up onto a boulder, and dropped Simba onto the ground, putting his paw on his back to stop him escaping. Simba looked out at the swarm of hyenas around the boulder and trembled more violently than ever.

"My friends," began Scar, "as you know, today was supposed to be the day that I usurped my brother and took my rightful place as king."

The hyenas cheered, but were still fixated on the lion cub in Scar's grasp. He raised a paw to silence them, and continued.

"However, due to unexpected circumstances, my brother managed to rescue this brat and survive, despite me taking matters into my own paws."

The hyenas began to growl and shriek, and this time Scar did not try to hush them. When the noise eventually died down, a hyena called out,

"So, you have brought us a lion cub to eat!"

In an instant, there was chaos, as the starving hyenas began to climb up the boulder. As they reached the top, Simba gave a squeal as a hyena took him in his mouth.

Scar surveyed the scene, watching as the cub cried out, about to meet his demise. He suddenly remembered that, without Simba, his plan was useless.

"Stop, you fools!"

He leapt down to the ground and batted several hyenas away from the cub.

"We need this cub. He is not for eating," then, with a sinister grin, he added, "Yet."

The hyenas cried out in protest, but Scar gave a roar, and they ceased.

"Do you want to hear this plan or not?"

When they yelped in agreement, he picked Simba up and got back onto the boulder.

"What is my brother's greatest weakness?"

Silence.

_I'm surrounded by idiots, _thought Scar.

"His son," said Shenzi.

"Thank You, Shenzi," said Scar, "indeed, this brat is the key to our success. What I propose to do is very simple."

The hyenas looked up at him, mouths agape with concentration.

"I simply threaten Mufasa with Simba's death unless he agrees to stand down as king."

Beneath Scar's massive paw, Simba's eyes widened in fear. He prayed that he was dreaming, and that soon he would wake up. He would play with Nala, and Chumvi, and Kula and Tojo and all the rest of the cubs and this would all be a distant nightmare. His mother would nuzzle him lovingly and his father would share with him the wisdom of the great Kings of the past. He was so fixated on this vision that he did not realise that Scar had finished addressing the hyenas. Only when the clamour started up again did he realise what was happening.

"To Pride Rock!" cried Scar. He roughly seized Simba and leapt from the boulder. Inside, Simba's very being was filled with fear and dread and uncertainty of what was going to happen to him


	4. The Ultimatum

This is a lot of fun to write. This is the fourth chapter I've been working on today.

Chapter Three: The Ultimatum

Scar and the hyenas marched through the Pride Lands towards Pride Rock. Every animal that they encountered quickly ran away. Several of the hyenas couldn't contain themselves and ran after the prey, snapping at its heels.

"No!" yelled Scar, dropping the hostage that was Simba, "not yet."

"Can't we just pick off one of the little sick ones?"

"No! If word gets to Mufasa that hyenas were seen hunting in the Pride Lands the game will be up!"

Simba was trying desperately to get away. If he could just get to Pride Rock ahead of them, and could warn the adults of what was going to happen, maybe things would be all right. He struggled against Scar's paw, but it was too heavy. Then, he lashed out with his claws, and managed to scratch Scar's other leg. As Scar reared in pain, Simba sprinted towards Pride Rock.

_Don't look back! _He thought, _just keep running!_

Suddenly, he was swatted from behind. He sprawled across the ground, and realised he had been caught up with. Scar, now angered, shoved Simba into a rock. He put his face right in front of the terrified cub's.

"Do that again," he said dangerously, "and I will make you regret it."

With that, he struck the cub, claws unsheathed. As Simba cried out in pain he added, "we're approaching Pride Rock. Not a _sound_ out of you. If we're discovered, I will kill you, exile or no exile, and I'll make sure your father is there to see it." He cackled to himself at this thought. Even if Mufasa killed him in return, it would be worth it. He turned back to the hyenas.

"Are we all aware of the plan?"

The hyenas jeered as a sign of affirmation.

"Good. You know what to do."

With that, the hyenas broke into several bands, and slunk away. The only remaining hyena was Banzai.

"Let's go," said Scar.

Banzai picked up Simba, and the two of them slunk towards Pride Rock.

Mufasa could not get any rest. He was filled with worry for what had become of Simba. Simba was his only heir, and the pain of losing him would be too much for him to bear. He didn't think he would be able to stand having another cub in his place. With no one to succeed him, Scar would become King after he was gone, and Mufasa now knew all too well what Scar was willing to do to get his way.

Suddenly, there was a gasp. He looked up, and gasped as well.

Scar was standing in the cave entrance.

"Scar!" he roared, getting to his feet as fast as he was able, "how could you even think about coming back here after what you have done?"

"Hello, Brother," said Scar casually, "how's your day been?"

"Do not test me, Scar. I can't believe it. I trusted you, I put my faith in you. We all accepted you, and now you must pay!"

"_Don't come any closer." _Scar's tone had changed abruptly. He had a deathly glare on his face.

"Don't you dare try to tell me what to do, Scar," Mufasa roared, "I am the King, not you, even though you nearly were today-"

"You would be best to listen to what I say, Mufasa," Scar said darkly, "if only you knew why." He laughed.

"Why?" said Mufasa, suddenly concerned, "why, Scar? Tell me!"

To see his brother this way elated Scar. He couldn't wait for his facial expression during what happened next. He slyly looked to his left.

Mufasa gasped, as did everyone else. Whatever he had expected to see, it was not this. His mouth hung open, and his eyes were wide, for a hyena had just stepped into view, and, dangling from its jaws, trembling and struggling to get free, was Simba.

Fear gripped Mufasa's heart at this sight. This, combined with Scar's triumphant smirk, was more than he could bear.

"Simba!" shrieked Sarabi. She bounded across the den, looking terrified.

"Stay back, Sarabi," sang Scar, hardly able to contain his glee.

"Let him go, Scar," Mufasa said darkly, "right now."

"No," said Scar simply. This was absolutely fantastic.

Mufasa looked at the hyena. He knew his name, Banzai.

"Drop my son," he said, "or have you forgotten what I told you yesterday?"

Banzai hesitated, _if you ever come near my son again… _Mufasa had never finished…

Scar could tell Banzai was wavering, being aware of what had been said (having surveyed the whole event secretly). He knew exactly what to do.

"Don't listen to him, Banzai," he crooned, "aren't you forgetting that this is the lion that killed your mother?" Banzai's eyes widened momentarily at the memory, then bared his teeth at Mufasa, hatred filling him. Simba gave an audible squeak, the first sound he had made since they entered the den, as they sank into his skin. He had never seen his parents look so panicked, and he could see all his friends cowering at the back of the den, disbelieving of what they were seeing.

"I swear," said Mufasa, "if you don't put Simba down right now…" his voice trembled.

"Fine," said Scar, "Banzai."

Banzai threw the frightened cub onto the ground in front of Scar. He grabbed Simba with one paw and placed the claws of his other paw over his throat.

"Now," he said icily, "this can go one of two ways. Either you step down as King and let me ascend the throne. Or," he glanced down at Simba, "I'll kill him."

Simba's breath hitched, and he stared at his father, not knowing what was going to happen to him. Mufasa stared back, disbelieving and terrified."

The silence in the cave was almost deafening.

"Well?" asked Scar.

No answer.

"Fine."

He flipped Simba onto his back and raised his paw, ready to strike.

Simba screamed, and screwed up his eyes, ready for the blow.

"NO!" Mufasa cried. He was trembling, his breathing fast and audible.

"Please," he begged, "don't hurt him. You can have whatever you want."

"Very good," said Scar, as if he were praising a child, "yes, very good."

He rolled Simba back onto his stomach. He was king. At last. It was his.

"I'm king," he muttered, as if he didn't quite believe it. Then:

"I'M KING!" he roared, triumph filling him. He roared the signal out the cave entrance, and hyenas began to come flooding in. Screams and cries resounded around the den from cubs and adults alike.

Simba, noticing that Scar was no longer restraining him stood up and began to creep back to his mother.

"Oh yes," said Scar, "one more thing. Just as incentive for you to toe the line,"

He reached out and pulled Simba back towards him, "Simba stays with me."

Sarabi let out a sob, which caused Scar to laugh. He looked at Mufasa, who's eyes were widening all the time, Scar could smell his fear scent stronger than ever before, stronger even than at the gorge earlier in the day. He picked up Simba, who began to struggle violently and carried him towards his cave where he slept away from the other lions. He climbed up the fallen rocks that acted as stairs (for his den was higher up than the others') and made to enter.

"Don't you dare hurt him, Scar."

Scar glanced over his shoulder, and dropped Simba onto the ground.

He chose his words carefully.

"I'm not going to make any promises."

With that, he shunted the terrified child inside the den. A hyena pushed a rock in front of the entrance, and took up sentry duty.


	5. Revelations

There is currently a very large pile of summer-work on my desk. I start school in 5 days. Whoops.

EDIT: A reviewer has informed me that Malka wasn't in Simba's pride. I wasn't aware of this, but I am going to leave him in because he made an appearance in the dream that inspired this fic. If anyone else from "the friendly five" wasn't a part of the pride either then they are being left in for the same reasons.

Also, "_Aiheu, tafadhali kulinda mimi" _is Swahilli for "Aiheu, please protect me". It is meant to be a sort of prayer that Simba says when Scar is about to hurt him. (If you are aware of the Fanfiction "Chronicles of the Pridelands" you will know that Aiheu is the lion God, and this is where I got it from (Google "Chronicles of the Pridelands" if you haven't read it, it's fantastic, but long))

Chapter Four: Revelations

Amidst the chaos inside Pride Rock, Mufasa and Sarabi were still staring up at Scar's den, oblivious to the rampaging hyenas. They had dispersed across the Pride Lands, chasing after prey animals and howling into the night. They had well and truly made themselves at home.

The hyenas inside Pride Rock were most interested in the cubs. The ten that remained (Nala, Chumvi, Kula, Tojo, Malka, Tama, Moja, Mibli, Tatu and Sita) were being shielded from the beasts by their mothers, but it was difficult to protect them from so many hyenas.

Mufasa looked over at Sarabi. Her eyes were wide and shining with tears. He nuzzled her to try and comfort her.

"It's going to be all right," he said, "everything will be fine."

His voice cracked. He wasn't sure if he even believed himself. No sooner had the words left his mouth than a shriek of pain coming from Scar's den.

A lump formed in his throat, and he knew. Maybe it wouldn't be all right, after all.

Scar pushed the terrified Simba into his den. The cub backed up to the opposite wall. There was absolutely no light in here, and all that could be seen were the floating orbs that were Scar's eyes. The den was much smaller than the others. The ceiling was just about high enough for an adult lion to sit up in, and a little more than enough room to turn around in.

Scar advanced on the petrified cub. Simba shrank back.

"Please," he whispered, "don't hurt me." His tail was in-between his legs, and he was flattened to the ground.

Scar loomed over him, filled with hatred and animosity at this little creature. Simba was so frightened by him that he began

"Let me go back to my mom," the cub wept, "I swear, I'll be good!"

"Ignorant child," laughed Scar, "you really thought it would be that simple? A few tears and I would let you go?"

Simba, stunned, stared up at him.

"Stupid cub. You know as well as I do that your father is stronger than me. Even in his weakened state he could challenge me, and defeat me. But," his eyes glowed with malice, "if _you're_ up here, he wouldn't dare rebel against me, if regaining power meant you being killed."

He laughed again, and raised a paw over the petrified cub.

"_Aiheu, tafadhali kulinda mimi!" _squealed Simba.

"Oh, Simba," said Scar, "do you really believe in those cub tales? That there truly is a higher being watching over you? I suppose your father told you about the "great kings of the past" as well? He always was one for that nonsense."

"What – what do you mean?"

"My father told me that too, but of course I was smart enough to know it was all untrue."

Scar was silent for a few seconds, and all of a sudden, he flew into a rage.

"_I WAS ALWAYS THE SMARTEST! I SHOULD HAVE BEEN KING FROM THE START!"_

He shoved his face directly in front of Simba's (who was now shaking violently from head to toe)

"_EVERY NIGHT I WATCHED THEM TOGETHER, TALKING ABOUT KINGS AND THE FUTURE AND ABOUT HOW YOUR FATHER "WOULD BE AN EXCELENT KING SOME DAY". IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! I KNEW I WOULD BE A GREAT KING. DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT FEELS, PRINCELING? TO BE SHOVED TO THE SIDE? WELL? DO YOU?"_

Simba did not answer him. He flattened himself further against the wall.

"Of course you don't," mumbled Scar, "not with parents like yours…"

Scar paused for a moment. He looked deep into Simba's ever widening eyes.

"Your mother," Scar whispered, "he stole her… from _me!"_

The rage was back.

"_SHE WAS MINE, AND HE COULDN'T LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE! HE COULDN'T BEAR TO SEE ME GET WHAT I WANTED! HE PLAYED WITH HER EMOTIONS… TURNED HER AGAINST ME!"_

He looked down at Simba with disgust.

"And you…" he whispered, "_Are living proof of that."_

Scar couldn't hold back anymore. He lashed out at the cub. As Simba squealed with pain and fear, a single tear of fury left Scar's eye.

A/N: Sorry for shortness. Reviews are appreciated!


	6. Demise of the Pridelands

Chapter Five: Demise of the Pridelands

_I fear the struggle, I fear the Strife_

_A fear of death, a fear of Life_

_I fear for you, I fear for me_

_I fear of what will come to be_

_-Matthew Densely_

Scar was a cruel and heartless ruler. He was unwilling to perform the duties that he was obliged to do as king, instead forcing the females to do it for him. He was even unwilling to patrol and mark the border but this wasn't a problem, because only an idiot would want to take over the Pridelands now.

The earth was barren and dry, and decaying animal carcasses lay everywhere from the hyenas over hunting. The herds left to go elsewhere, and the watering hole was reduced to a pit of stinking mud. The pride lions had to travel very far for water, and even further to hunt. The Pride Lands were dying, and Scar was completely to blame.

Of course no one had forgotten Simba, but nobody had seen him for a very long time. Every day they would hear him cry out from within Scar's den, as he was subjected to a world of abuse from the tyrant. When Scar wasn't in his den, Simba remained there, but the hyena on guard outside made it impossible for him to escape, or for anyone to try and rescue him.

Sarabi was not her usual self. She was consumed by fear and anxiety for her cub, and her once happy face was blank and expressionless. In the night Mufasa would hear her cry as he struggled to sleep. Hundreds of plans chased themselves around his head as to how to rescue his son, but each one was discarded for one reason or another. He also tried to think of ways to overthrow Scar, but he did not dare attempt any of them. Simba's life was hanging in the balance.

Scar was lazy, and would often sleep long past sun-high, so Zazu was forced to give the morning report to him inside his den.

"Sire?"

"What is it now, Zazu?"

"The morning report, your majesty."

"…go on."

"Well, er…" Zazu cast a look towards the crumpled heap of fur in the corner of Scar's den.

"Come on!" snapped Scar, "I haven't got all day."

"the-the elephants are gone. They left in the early hours of the morning-"

"Who needs them?" scoffed Scar.

"Most of the cheetahs and leopards left as well."

"They are weak," replied Scar, "if they would stay, they would feel the power that I will bring to these lands."

"But, Sire!" Zazu cried, "can't you see? The Pride Lands are being destroyed! If you could only reign in those _poachers _then maybe things woul-"

"ENOUGH!" yelled Scar, he made to swipe at Zazu, who quickly flapped out of the way.

"BE GONE!" he screamed.

Zazu hastily flew out of the den, and the hyena outside replaced the rock.

In a rage, Scar lashed out at Simba, who by now was battered and bruised beyond recognition. His once bright and inquisitive eyes were now dull and lifeless. His fur was unkempt and dusty, while his body was covered with slashes and cuts of varying deepness, some still oozing blood. He had become Scar's personal punching bag. He gave a faint groan as his claws tore through his skin.

During the long hours of solitude inside Scar's den, Simba's mind would wander. Why was this happening to him? Did he deserve it? He had done some pretty bad things recently, like going to the elephant graveyard with Nala even though his father told him not to. He thought of his father, of how scared he had looked the day Scar became King. Simba wondered if he even cared about him anymore.

The nights were worse. He was plagued by nightmares of wildebeest and hyenas chasing him, Scar grabbing him, slashing into his skin…

He would lie on the floor of Scar's den, crying and praying for the end.

"Wake up!"

Simba felt himself being roughly shaken awake.

As he opened his eyes, he saw Scar standing over him. He quickly curled into a ball before he could hit him.

"No," said Scar, batting at him with his paw, "stand!"

The cub stood up on shaky legs. He was extremely thin. On the ground in front of him was a scrap of meat and a half-gourd filled with water.

"Now, eat," Scar commanded, "if I want to stay King I need you alive."

The starving cub attacked the food and had it down in three bites. Next, he descended upon the water and felt it wash over his parched tongue. He looked up just as Scar was leaving, and watched as the boulder was shoved back over the entrance, making escape impossible. Once again, he plummeted into blackness.

The pride was approaching Scar's second moon of Kingship, and the results were showing. Every lion in the pride's ribs were visible, including Scar himself, despite him demanding the majority of any kill the lionesses brought back. Meals were few and far between, and they were only just surviving.

Sarabi, who was head huntress, urged Scar that they must leave the Pride Lands to find a better place to live, but his response was always the same.

"We're not going anywhere," he would snap at her.

"Then you have sentenced us to death," she snapped back, "You – you monster!"

"Watch your tongue, Sarabi," he replied smoothly, "or have you forgotten who I have up in my den?"

Mufasa could see just how badly Scar was manipulating Sarabi, but he could do nothing about it, as Scar would treat him exactly the same way when he came to her defence.

"I would advise you to be careful, Mufasa," he would croon, "we wouldn't want anything to happen to that little brat of yours, would we?"

"You wouldn't dare, Scar!"

"Try me."

As the days and weeks progressed, Scar continued to vent all his anger and frustration upon Simba. He was desperate to kill the cub and have him out of the way, but then his plan of retaining his title would be ruined. Simba was the only thing preventing Mufasa from challenging Scar. He would surely win if he did.

He spent hours pondering how he and his brother were different. Why was he so loved? What did Mufasa have that Scar didn't?

He posed this question to Zazu one day during the evening report.

"Well, Sire," Zazu began, "he had adoring subjects, a loving family, a devoted Queen-"

"THAT'S IT!" yelled Scar.

"What's it, your Majesty?"

"A QUEEN, MAN, A QUEEN!" He bellowed. He was already shoving the boulder out of the way, on his way outside.

With a queen, he'd have… _cubs_.

Immortality would be his.

A/N: Yes, the last paragraph was inspired by "The Madness of King Scar" from TLKoB


	7. Sarafina's Secret

Chapter Six: Sarafina's Secret

"Sarabi, may I speak with you… in private?"

It was Sarafina. Everyone was gathered around the base of PrideRock for an announcement Scar was about to make.

"Of course," said Sarabi. The two of them quickly walked around to the side of Pride Rock, away from the prying ears of the hyenas, who acted as Scar's spies.

"Now, tell me," said Sarabi.

Sarafina's eyes seemed clouded with worry, and her face showed the same emotion.

"'Fina?"

"Please… promise you won't tell anyone."

"I won't."

"Not even Mufasa?"

"Not even Mufasa."

"Not even Nala knows…I…"

Her eyes filled with tears.

"What? You're scaring me!"

"I…" she shook her head, "I'm pregnant."

Sarabi felt the bottom fall out of her heart.

"Oh my Gods, 'Fina, Did he rape you?"

Sarafina looked up in alarm.

"No! No, it's not Scar's…"

"Then who…"

"He's a rogue," said Sarafina, tears still streaking down her cheeks, "his name's Ni."

This was a very dangerous situation to be in. Despite allowing the cubs born under Mufasa's reign to remain alive, Sarabi didn't know how tolerant Scar would be of cubs born from rogues.

"Does Scar know about this?"

"No… I don't know what he'll do when it's born… what if he…"

Fresh tears began to cascade down her cheeks.

Sarabi tried to change the subject.

"How long have you been seeing this Ni?"

"Since before Nala was born," said Sarafina, "I've never told her who her father is, but maybe now's the time to-"

She stopped as another lioness, one named Uzuri, came around the corner.

"You two had better get back over here," she said, "Scar wants to start."

Sarabi gave Sarafina a comforting nuzzle before the two of them headed back to where the rest of the pride had gathered.

"Lions," said Scar from atop Pride Rock, "I have an announcement to make."

He looked down on the congregated lions.

"The time has come for me to choose a mate."

This sentence was met with cryies of outrage from below.

"Silence!" roared Scar, "there is no need to argue. I have already chosen."

There was tension among the lionesses. Which unfortunate soul had been chosen?

Then, the name formed on Scar's lips.

"Arianna."

There was a cry from below, coming from a beautiful young lioness. She was barely more than a cub.

"NO, Scar!" cried Sarabi, "not her! She is too young! Someone else, but not _her_!"

"Is this you offering yourself up, Sarabi?" asked Scar, his voice dripping with wickedness.

"She is not, Scar," said Mufasa, speaking for the first time, "and well you know it."

"You should know better than to talk to your king like that, Mufasa," said Scar, "don't forget what I can do."

Mufasa growled indignantly, but knew not to continue.

"It's up to Arianna," said Scar, "she can either be my mate, or die."

Arianna was trembling, she was very young, only about four years, but still old enough to bear cubs, which is exactly what Scar wanted from her.

Her mother, Elanna, stood by her daughter and looked defiantly up at Scar.

"You evil, evil lion!"

Scar just smiled down at her.

"Well?"

Sarabi was reminded of the fateful day that Simba had been taken from her. Scar truly knew how to get what he wanted.

Arianna walked on shaky legs up the stone steps. Scar walked to meet her.

"Good girl," he said softly, "follow me."

Simba was distracted from his own thoughs by a crack of light appearing across his face as the rock was moved from the den entrance. He raised his head and was surprised to see that Scar was not alone. He saw the outline of a lioness and his heart filled with hope.

"Mom?"

"No, it's not your mother you ignorant child," said Scar, striking Simba across the face. Simba's cry was mingled with Arianna's shriek of terror. As Scar moved out of the way, she saw Simba properly for the first time.

"Oh my Gods," she gasped, "What have you _done_?"

"Just a bit of light revenge, my dear, nothing more."

He was standing uncomfortably close to her. She wanted to move away but there was barely any room in the tiny den.

"Now," he began, "you know why you are here?"

He pressed himself up against her but she did not answer. He moved his lips close to her ear.

"I need an _heir_," he whispered.

Her young eyes widened with terror.

"_No!"_ she cried, "_no, please!"_

"Come, now, my dear, don't play around with me!" said Scar, as if she were deliberately teasing him.

He started to shove her into the wall.

Simba, who had been watching the entire encounter, squeezed his eyes shut as Arianna's screams resounded around the tiny den. Scar had done the unthinkable.

The lioness' screaming could be heard inside the main den too. Elanna ran for the stone steps leading to Scar's den but the way was blocked by some hyenas. When she could go no further, she fell to the ground and began to sob. Just as Sarabi had all those moons ago, she had lost her child to Scar's terrible thirst for power.

Sarabi walked to where Elanna lay.

"Don't cry, my dear, please."

"That _swine_," she sobbed.

"I know, I know…"

Much later, Scar emerged from his den. There was fresh blood on his claws. Without saying a word to anyone, he walked out of the cave and into the Pride Lands. A moment later, Arianna stepped out, trembling from head to foot. The fact that she had no cuts on her body made Sarabi know that the blood belonged to Simba. She was once again clouded with worry, but was distracted as the young lioness slowly walked to her mother. She buried her face in her neck and began to sob, deeply. Sarabi walked to where Mufasa stood. He put his chin over hers as she once again began to cry for her own child.

A/N: This was a very Sarabi-Orientated chapter. I think the next one will focus on Mufasa more, as we haven't really heard from him in a while.


	8. The Confrontation

Chapter Seven: The Confrontation

Since it had happened, no-one spoke of the Scar/Arianna incident. She was still forced to sleep in the den with him, and had to bend to his every whim, whether it was licking him between the ears or worse.

None of the other lions approved of this union, though they had no choice in the matter. The young lioness seemed tense all the time, and would jump at the slightest noise or sudden movements. When Scar returned to his den, she was expected to be there, ready to welcome him home, however reluctantly.

Mufasa was walking through the Pridelands one night, observing the destruction that had come to his once beautiful home. As he was walking by the now-dry river, he thought he heard a sobbing. He looked down into the river bed, and there was Arianna, crying.

"My dear, are you alright?"

She gasped and looked up (Mufasa supposed she must have thought he was Scar).

He leapt down into the riverbed to join her, and she instantly buried her face in his mane. She had never known her true father, and Mufasa had always been the closest thing she had had to one. She trusted him fully.

He rubbed her back with his paw.

"What happened?"

He waited for her to calm down before she answered.

"I'm pregnant."

He felt a lump forming in his throat as she once again began to sob. He nuzzled the lioness like she was a daughter.

They remained like that for some time, until Mufasa decided that they should return to Pride Rock. As they walked in silence, he asked a question that he had been yearning to for some time.

He stopped and looked her deep in the eyes.

"Arianna," he said, "what has happened to my son?"

She looked back at him and her face clouded with sadness.

"He is alive," she said quietly, "but he is in a very bad way. Scar has been abusing him for a very long time now."

Mufasa felt anger welling up inside of him. He knew that it would be best for everyone if he re-assumed the throne, but he would not risk his son's life. Even if he managed to get rid of Scar before he could hurt Simba more, he had doubtless instructed the hyenas to carry out the deed for him were he not able to.

They arrived back to Pride Rock to find Scar standing outside the entrance to his den.

"_There_ you are my dear," he said sleazily, "I was wondering where you had got to." As Arianna slowly ascended the steps, Mufasa suddenly found himself bounding up ahead of her. Scar stared at his brother.

"What do _you _want?"

"Let me see my son, Scar," Mufasa said quietly.

Scar stared at him for a few seconds.

"No," he said, "no, you can't."

"I'm not joking, Scar," Mufasa continued, "let me see him, or I swear I will-"

"FINE!" bellowed Scar, as Mufasa's hackles began to raise, "I'LL SHOW YOU YOUR SON!"

He stepped to the side as Mufasa made a gasping sound. It sounded like he were choking. He saw Simba lying on the floor of Scar's den, motionless. The cub's fur was strewn across the den floor, and great splatters of blood were everywhere.

"ARE YOU HAPPY NO-"

Scar did not finish his sentence, because, before he could, Mufasa had leapt on him. The two lions tumbled down the stone steps leading to Scar's den and hit the floor below with a loud thud. As the two lions bit and slashed at each other, every head in the cave turned to them.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere the hyenas descended upon Mufasa. They dragged him off of Scar, who crept back to his den as Mufasa fought them off.

The noise coming from outside had roused Simba. He could hear the roaring of angry lions, mingled with hyena cackles. Suddenly, Scar was in the doorway of the den, shoving Arianna back inside. Before Simba could do anything, Scar struck him across the face, sending him sprawling across the den floor. Scar stood over him, and repeatedly began to bite and slash at the cub. As Simba's cries rent the air, Arianna could take it no more.

"Stop it!" she screamed, "stop!"

She moved towards Scar, seemingly braver than she felt, and tried to get him away from the squealing cub. As she did so, Scar smacked her away with such force that she hit the opposite wall. Turning back to the shaking cub, he raised a paw to kill him, but something stopped him.

_Not yet, _said a voice in the back of his mind, _he can still be of use._

He lowered his paw, stormed out of the den, and into the night.

Arianna hurried over to Simba. Tears were pouring out of his eyes.

"I want my mom," he wept.

"I know, I know," she said, pulling him near to her, "everything's gonna be all right."

She began to lick his wounds, some of which were still bleeding. His entire body was covered with slashes, everlasting signs of Scar's anger with the world. When Scar returned, she jumped away from the now sleeping cub and lay down in her usual spot.

Outside in the main den, Sarabi was licking Mufasa's wounds. Although they were minor, they were still there. Mufasa was shaking.

"Was it terrible?" Sarabi asked fearfully.

Mufasa looked at her.

"Yes," he said softly, "awful,"

She gave a small gasp, but continued to lick him.

That night, Mufasa could not sleep. The image of Simba, looking as if he were dead, would not leave his mind. He began to wonder if he really _had_ been dead, but he remembered what Arianna had said to him, and he trusted her to tell him the truth. Now she was pregnant with Scar's cubs. He wondered whether he should tell anyone else, but decided against it. Scar might want to make a formal announcement, and if he found out that Arianna had told, goodness knows what he might do.

He suddenly thought to himself of how selfish he had been. After all those moons of worrying and feeling sorry for himself, he had never stopped to consider how _Simba _must feel during all of this. Constant abuse from Scar, always being kept in the dark with limited contact from others… he shuddered at the thought, and eventually drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


	9. Through the eyes of the Innocent

Before we start, I just wanted to say Congratulations. TLK passed 2000 fics today here on fanfiction. Well done, everyone and keep up the good work!

Chapter Eight: Through the eyes of the Innocent

The cubs of the pride had not forgotten their friend. Despite not having seen him for nearly three moons now (Mufasa and Arianna were the only lions to have seen Simba since Scar took him hostage) they still missed him every day. The Pridelands were also changing around them. The once vibrant, green and yellow plains were now grey and dead looking. As they tried to play among the bones that the hyenas had left, Chumvi spoke up.

"I miss _Simba_," he said wistfully.

"Me too," said Nala.

All the others followed suit and agreed.

"Maybe if we asked, Scar would let us see him," Kula wondered.

"Let us see _who?"_

They all gasped and looked round. Scar stood over them.

"Shouldn't you cubs be at Pride Rock?" asked Scar smoothly, "these plains aren't safe, you know. We wouldn't want you to run into a hyena. They're rather unpredictable when they're hungry."

"We want to see Simba," Chumvi blurted out.

Scar looked slightly taken aback by the cub's outburst, but kept his composure.

"You can't," he said.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. Don't question your King, boy."

"_You are not my King, Scar!" _cried Chumvi.

"_Excuse me?" _Scar hissed.

"_You never have been, and you never will be! Mufasa is the rightful King!"_

Before anyone could say anything else, Scar grabbed Chumvi with his claws extended.

"Shenzi!" he barked.

A hyena slunk out from behind a boulder.

"Take these cubs back to Pride Rock,"

Shenzi motioned to another three hyenas who were also behind the boulder, They formed a circle around the cubs, and ushered them towards Pride Rock.

"You want to see Simba?" Scar said to the terrified Chumvi at his feet, "I'll show you Simba."

He picked him up, and walked along behind the hyenas.

As they reached Pride Rock, a lioness let out a cry. It was Chumvi and Kula's mother, Felicia.

"Chumvi? Scar! What are you doing?"

"I'm teaching your cub a valuable lesson," he said, putting Chumvi down briefly. He swept past her as he picked him up again, and some hyenas prevented her from following.

Scar took Chumvi to his den, and moved the rock so that Simba could be seen. Chumvi made a noise not dissimilar to the one Mufasa had made.

"Simba!" he cried, running to his friend, "Simba, can you hear me?"

"Chumvi?" Simba replied, weakly.

"What's happened to you? Did Scar do this to you?"

Simba nodded feebly, still lying on the ground.

Chumvi briefly glared up at Scar before turning back to Simba.

"Look, we're all missing you. We want you to come back."

"I can't."

"You _can, _if we try!"

"Give it up, Chumvi," said Simba, "I can't. There's no way for me to get out of here as much as I'd like to!"

"But," Chumvi wavered, "I want you to."

A tear rolled down his cheek.

"I miss you so much."

"I miss you, too," replied Simba.

With that, the two best friends began to nuzzle each other, crying all the while.

"Well, isn't this _touching_," said Scar, who the two cubs had completely forgotten about, "you. Out."

"No! Wait!" Simba cried, but he was silenced as Scar struck him.

"Leave him alone!" cried Chumvi, who started clawing at Scar's leg. He roughly seized the cub and carried him, screaming, from the den.

Outside, he dropped Chumvi to the floor, and slashed him across the forehead. Felicia came darting into the den, and stood over her son.

"Get away!" she cried, shielding the terrified cub from Scar.

Scar bent down and whispered into Chumvi's ear.

"Don't come asking for your little friend again, or you'll end up just like him. And don't question my Kingship, either."

With that, he swept away.

The rest of the cubs came dashing over to Chumvi.

"What happened?" asked Moja.

But Chumvi could not speak. The image of his best friend lying there so helplessly seemed to have been burned into his retinas. Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought of him up in Scar's den on his own. Later on, he did his best to explain what had happened to the others, and they all had similar reactions.

He didn't know it then, but Chumvi would keep the scar from his cut for the rest of his life as a constant reminder of the horrors he had witnessed. And so, yet another innocent life had been affected by Scar's evil ministry.

A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter compared to the others. I'm really not very pleased with how it turned out but I wanted to get some insight from the cubs on the matter.

Also, I am aware that Chumvi is actually supposed to be one of Nala's friends in the TLK books, but for the purposes of this story, let's just say he's friends with Simba, too.


	10. The births

A/N: I'm going to rewrite chapter eight, to make it longer and better. I wrote it at 2AM because I'm trying to get as much of the story written as possible before school starts, and I think the fact that I was so tired impacted it significantly.

Also, two reviewers have raised an issue about some "plot holes". I sent one of them a PM but as the other was an unregistered user I'm going to address them here.

**Simba can just defeat Scar when he gets older:** Although this is true, Scar did not consider the future when he involved Simba in his plan. All he really wanted was to become King straight away.

**Why doesn't Arianna threaten Scar with a miscarriage in exchange for releasing Simba?**: You're missing a major point here. Arianna is _terrified_ of Scar. She's not yet brave enough to try and stand up to him.

**The lionesses should back Mufasa in trying to take down Scar:** They all know what Scar is capable of doing, so they too are slightly scared. Also, it would still result in Simba's death, like was said in chapter seven, "Scar had doubtless instructed the hyenas to carry out the deed for him were he not able to".

**Once Scar has released Simba in point two, Mufasa, Sarabi and the rest of the lions should leave Pride Rock to find somewhere else to live and leave Scar to rule over the barren wasteland that is the Pridelands just like he wanted:** Well, for one, they don't really want to. They have lived at Pride Rock all their lives and would rather restore the Pride Lands to their former beauty than leave to find somewhere else. Also, they're all so weak that most of them could die on the journey, and, as I explained in point two, it would mean leaving Simba behind!

**Simba will need therapy when/if he gets out:** I don't really consider this a plot hole, but I'm not going to talk about this one! You'll have to wait until the end of the story to find out!

I appreciate the suggestions that these people have made, but I have the story all planned out already, as it was inspired by a dream I had. Perhaps these ideas would be good for another AU fic, but as far as I'm concerned, they aren't right for this one. However, I do appreciate the feedback, so keep it coming!

Chapter Nine: The Births

Two more moons passed, and as they did, Sarafina's belly began to swell. It was no secret that she was pregnant, but, somehow, Scar seemed oblivious to it. Sarafina had been avoiding him as much as possible, but it didn't matter as Scar barely made contact with any of the lionesses. He was always either in his den abusing Simba or walking around the Pridelands, deep in thought about one thing or another.

Simba's life had become an endless cycle of pain, darkness and fear. The long hours of solitude inside Scar's den would cause him to hallucinate, terrifying images of what had been and what could be filled his head and would not leave. It was pure torture for him. His once happy life was now a vague and distant memory, and he found himself forgetting details of it. Nala had green eyes, didn't she? Or were they blue? Amber? He found himself forgetting how people's voices sounded, what colour was their fur was. He hadn't seen so many of the people he cared about for so long, and his lack of knowledge of what was happening in the world outside Scar's den made him wonder if he was still remembered. This thought terrified him. What if he were left here to die alone? Then it occurred to him. He would rather die now than wait forever to be saved from what his life had become. With that, the tears began to flow freely from his eyes as they had so many times before.

The signs of Arianna's pregnancy were showing too. Scar announced gleefully that she was to bear his cubs one day, to be met with gasps of outrage from the assembled lions. Arianna, however, remained quiet as she stood beside Scar from atop the boulder that he would always address the pride from. Her belly would sway as she walked, and although the life inside her was born from greed and lust from their father, she seemed happy at the idea of finally having cubs of her own. She would happily swap cub names with the other females as though nothing were wrong, though she was secretly terrified. Scar wanted a male heir to firmly rub in his hold over the Pridelands forever. If Arianna only bore females, she was afraid of what he might do. Also, after seeing how he had treated Simba, were her cubs destined to the same terrible abuse? She shuddered at the thought, and tried to push it out of her already troubled mind.

The sights of Arianna and Sarafina so visibly pregnant were like a thorn in Sarabi's heart. Once again, she was reminded of her son whom she so desperately longed to see again. Mufasa had told her of the terrible state their son was in, and it filled her very being with fear. She too had nightmares about it. Simba would always be just out of reach, and a dark silhouette of a lion would be holding her back, preventing her from going to him. She would wake, shaking and in a cold sweat. Although she didn't say anything, she wished Sarafina weren't pregnant at all. Not only did it remind her of the cub she had all but lost, but the burden of trying to conceal Sarafina's dark secret from Scar was overwhelming.

Then one night, the secret was finally out.

As the pride lay sleeping, a terrible cry rent the air. Sarabi, thinking it was Simba, awoke at an instant, but then realised it had been a lioness. She looked around the dark cave, and saw Sarafina breathing heavily, a scared Nala beside her heaving sides. "What's happening to her?" asked Nala as Sarabi ran over to them, her eyes wide.

"Oh Gods, she's in labour!" whispered Sarabi, as the other lions began to gather around her. Scar's head emerged from his den.

"What disturbance is this?" he yelled, but no one heard him. Sarafina cried out again as her contractions intensified. Arianna shoved past him with difficulty and came down to take in the scene.

For half an hour this continued. The lionesses would give Sarafina words of encouragement as she pushed, screaming and crying out all the while. Her yells finally ceased and she quickly looked around. On the floor of the den was a pure white cub with slightly darker spots on his head and body. Sarafina quickly knawed through the umbilical chord and pulled her new-born close to her, licking his fur. The other lions all sighed with relief that everyone was OK, and Sarabi felt that all the regret of losing her own cub was temporarily pushed to the back of her mind as she watched Sarafina with the baby.

Not long after, Scar came pushing through the crowd of lionesses to survey the scene. He saw the cub nestled at Sarafina's feet, and his eyes filled with surprise. He stepped closer, and the lioness shielded her baby from view with her paws. Scar said nothing, and swept from the den. Ravenous hyenas were gathering near to the lionesses, licking their chops. Although Scar had told them not to eat any of the other cubs, he had not mentioned this one. As they began to creep forward, Sarabi spotted them. She gave a small roar, and stepped towards them threateningly. The hyenas backed off; this could wait until later.

"What will his name be?" Sarabi asked her friend softly.

Sarafina, who was tired from the birth, whispered back, "his name is Mheetu."

Sarabi smiled, "It's a wonderful name."

News of Mheetu's birth reached Simba as Scar paced his den. There was no doubt about it, Scar was going mad. He would circle the den, muttering to himself.

"So Sarafina's had a cub, has she?" he said, "who is the father?"

Simba felt his heart sink. Life had been going on outside his dark prison without him.

"Mufasa?" Scar continued, "no, no, not him. A rogue?"

He stopped.

"A rogue! Yes, a rogue! That's it!"

Before he could continue, the boulder to the den was removed, and the sentry hyena appeared in the entrance.

"King Scar," he said, "a lioness wants to speak with you."

Scar sighed, "fine. Send her in."

Sarafina appeared at the den entrance beside the hyena, who left a moment later.

Scar stared at her, "what do you want?"

"I just want to-" she stopped as she saw Simba. She gasped as her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh my gods…" she breathed, "what have you _done?_"

Scar ignored her.

"Go on," he said, "I have things to do."

Sarafina tore her eyes away from the battered cub with difficulty.

"It's the hyenas," she said, her voice shaking, "they're after Mheetu. They won't leave us alone. They keep following me around with him, make them stop."

"I'll do no such thing," said Scar, "if you lose your cub to the hyenas, it's not my fault. This will just prove whether you're fit to be a mother or not."

Sarafina drew back her lips in a snarl.

"Well, maybe this just proves you aren't fit to be king!"

Scar stood up and advanced on the lioness.

"You'd be best to keep a civil tongue when talking to me. After all," he cast a look over at Simba in the corner, "we wouldn't want your son to end up like Sarabi's brat…"

Sarafina looked fearfully back at Scar.

"Go," he said, "and don't mention this to me again."

Sarafina turned to leave, when Scar remembered something.

"Speaking of your son," said Scar, "who is the father?"

The lioness didn't reply.

"Well?"

"…M-M-Mufasa," she said, "yes. Mufasa… Mufasa is the father…"

Scar smiled evilly.

"Fine, go on."

With that, Sarafina left the den, unable to shake the sight of Simba's bruised and scratched body. Her eyes were still wide as she walked to Sarabi, who had been looking after Nala and Mheetu.

"Well?" asked Sarabi.

"Nothing," said Sarafina sadly, "he's not going to do anything about it."

As always, the hyenas were crouching near to them, eyeing Mheetu hungrily.

"Get back!" cried Sarafina, "go away!"

The hyenas shrieked with laughter, but backed off slightly when Sarafina growled at them. She stood over her two cubs to protect them.

"Did you… did you see him?"

Sarafina looked Sarabi deep in the eyes.

"Yes," she whispered, so that Nala would not hear, "yes I did."

Sarabi's eyes were filled with anguish.

"He… he's alive," she continued.

"I… I know… just," Sarabi's eyes filled with tears, "I'd give anything to see him again!" Her sobs echoed around the den, and all Sarafina could do was nuzzle her friend and share in her sorrow.

It was early morning a few days later, and Sarabi was not asleep. Her grief for Simba had returned, and she was feeling more depressed than ever before. She lay thinking of him, how he used to sleep in between her and Mufasa, how he would always be up before sunrise ready for the day ahead. As these thoughts chased themselves around her head, a shrill scream rent the air. She quickly lifted her head and looked around. The sound had issued from Scar's den. All of a sudden, Scar came bolting out.

"My cubs!" he cried, "my cubs are coming!"

Everyone was awake now, including Mufasa. Behind Scar, Arianna continued to scream.

Scar looked down at the Pride.

"Sarabi!" he yelled, "get up here, now!"

Sarabi quickly got to her feet. There was only one thought on her mind. Simba.

She raced up the stone steps and into the den, and looked around. She let out a scream that mingled with Arianna's as she looked around. She saw her cub on the floor, battered almost beyond recognition. Simba's eyes slowly opened. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Mom?"

His face broke into a smile. Sarabi stayed rooted to the spot for a few seconds, before quickly crossing the den floor. She was mere feet from him, when Scar shot out in front of her.

"_NO!_" he bellowed, "_get away!"_

"Get away from my son, Scar!" screamed Sarabi, "move or I will kill you!"

Beside the confrontation, Arianna continued to scream and sob. Scar looked over at her. Something seemed wrong. He reached behind him and grabbed Simba with his claws.

"Help her," he said, "help her or I'll kill him."

Sarabi's eyes widened, but she knew she had no choice. She turned to Arianna.

"Come on," she said, her voice shaking, "come on, you can do this…" her eyes filled with tears.

"Push now," she coaxed, "come on."

Scar paced the den as Arianna cried out. He stayed close to Simba so as to stop Sarabi from getting at him.

Arianna pushed hard, and her cries of pain briefly subsided. She looked around and wriggled forward to get the cub completely out. But something was wrong. As Arianna turned to lick the cub's fur, it stayed completely motionless. It did not cry out for its mother as Mheetu had done a few days previously. The cub was definitely dead.

"My dear…" Sarabi began, "I'm so sorry…"

Arianna looked ready to cry.

"Well?" asked Scar briskly, seemingly oblivious to what was happening, "what is it?"

"It was a boy…" said Sarabi.

"Was?"

"It's dead, Scar…"

"No!" whispered Scar, "no! It can't be-"

He was cut off as Arianna cried out again.

Sarabi turned away from Scar and back to Arianna.

"You can do it!" she said, "I know you can."

And, sure enough, a few minutes later, a squealing cub lay on the floor of the den.

Arianna, her face beaming with a smile, craned round to reach the cub. She pulled it close to her and began to lick its fur.

Sarabi had a closer look.

"It's a beautiful baby girl," she said.

Arianna stopped licking the cub. She quickly looked over at Scar, then quickly away again.

"A… a girl?" Scar stammered. He stared down at Arianna in disbelief. Her breathing had quickened.

He looked at Sarabi.

"Get out," he breathed.

Sarabi did not move. She looked back over at Simba, who was crouched behind Scar.

"_Get out, NOW!" _he screamed. He started to shove Sarabi from the den.

"No! STOP!" she cried, but she was not strong enough to stand up to Scar. As Sarabi was pushed out, the rock was moved back by the hyena. She quickly dashed down the steps to the other lions.

Mufasa came over to her.

"What happened-"

He was cut off by a terrible scream. Even after it had stopped, the awful sound still echoed around the cave. Scar emerged from his den, and as he did so, a terrible sobbing could be heard issuing from the den. A tiny, lifeless cub swung in Scar's jaws, its blood dripping onto the ground. Scar approached a group of hyenas, and threw the tiny form onto the ground.

"It's yours," he said, his voice filled with disgust. At the top of the steps the sentry hyena came out of the den, carrying the other dead cub. As Scar left Pride Rock, the hyenas began to devour the cubs, ripping and tearing for all they were worth.


	11. The Nightmare

Chapter Ten: The Nightmare

"_When she was just a girl,  
>She expected the world,<br>But it flew away from her reach,  
>So she ran away in her sleep.<em>

Dreamed of para-para-paradise,  
>Para-para-paradise,<br>Para-para-paradise,  
>Every time she closed her eyes."<p>

-Coldplay, Paradise

_Let me go… I don't want to be alive anymore…_

A multitude of thoughts were running through Simba's head. There wasn't much else for him to do, trapped within the rocky walls of his dark prison. His body felt as though it were on fire, there were cuts and slashes all over him, each one of a varying deepness. He couldn't visualise the world outside anymore. He wondered if it had changed at all. The days were long, but the nights were unending. His sleep was riddled with dreams, most of which he could barely remember when he woke, and once he did, getting back to sleep was impossible with the constant pain he felt. Not only the physical pain, but the psychological pain, too. As he would beat him, Scar would yell things at him, and this combined with the constant darkness was pure torture.

One night, things got worse.

He opened his eyes. Instead of the blackness he was so used to, he was lying on a rock in the middle of the grasslands. The sun was shining down on him, and in the distance he could see elephants and Zebras and all sorts of other animals. He looked all around him. This was strange, how did he end up here?

"Simba?"

He looked around.

"Nala?"

And sure enough, it was. Happiness was welling up inside of him. He couldn't believe he was finally seeing her again. She ran towards him.

"Where have you BEEN?"

"What?"

"We've all been looking for you. You've been gone for ages!"

"But," Simba began puzzled, "I… you know that-"

"Oh well, never mind. Come on! Everyone's waiting for you!"

With that she took off, and Simba quickly ran after her.

"Wait up!" he cried. She was running faster than he had ever seen her before. He chased her to the top of a hill.

"Guys! I found him!"

The others were all there. Chumvi, Kula, Tojo, Malka, Tama, Mojo, Mibli, Tatu and Sita.

"Where did you go to?" asked Tatu, "we've been looking for you for ages!"

Simba was now beyond confused.

"But, guys! You knew where I was! Scar-"

Once again, Nala cut him off.

"It doesn't matter where he was, the point is _I _found him, so I win!"

"Fine," muttered Chumvi, "let's go back to Pride Rock. I'm hungry."

They all took off again, seemingly faster than Nala had before. Simba struggled to keep up with them all the way back, and by the time they reached Pride Rock, he was gasping for air. He clamoured up the rocks onto Pride Rock. He looked around, and saw his parents, nonchalantly sitting in the shade.

He sprinted towards them.

"MOM! DAD!" he was so happy to see them, he felt he might cry.

He reached his father first, and began to nuzzle into his soft mane as hard as he could.

"There you are, Simba," he said, "we were wondering where you had got to."

He looked at him in disbelief. Not him, too…

"But, I've been gone for moons! Didn't you notice?"

"Not really," said Sarabi, "in fact, hardly at all."

Simba's face fell.

"But, not to worry," continued Mufasa, "you're here now."

Sarabi stood up, and as she did, Simba noticed another cub that had previously been concealed behind her.

"Who's that?"

"Oh," said Mufasa, "this is your brother, Hodari. We assumed you wouldn't be coming back, so we had another cub."

"Oh," Simba muttered. They truly had forgotten about him.

"Come, Hodari," Mufasa continued, ignoring Simba, "let's go to the top of Pride Rock. I want to show you something."

"Can I come?" asked Simba.

"No, son," said Mufasa, "this is a special time between your brother and I. I made him king in your place as I didn't know if you would be back. Go play with your friends or something. Just run along."

"But-"

"GO, Simba."

He looked to his mother. She was licking Hodari's ears. He tried to nuzzle up to her, but she pushed him away.

"Can't you see I'm _busy _Simba?"

Simba sighed. It was no use.

He walked over to where his friends were.

"All right, let's go," said Chumvi.

"Where are we going?" asked Simba.

"Oh, you can't come," said Moja, "this is our private game, and you weren't here. All the parts are filled."

"Yeah, sorry about that, Simba."

"But, Chumvi," Simba pleaded, "you're supposed to be my best friend!"

"Oh yeah, about that," Chumvi continued, "I assumed you were gone for good, so Tojo's my best friend now."

Simba couldn't say anything.

"See you around, then."

Simba was livid and upset. Everyone he had cared about had completely forgotten about him, and he had been replaced. It wasn't fair, being King was supposed to be _his _thing. He couldn't believe his father had given his birthright to someone else. He tried to say hello to the other pride members, but they all simply ignored him. Sighing, he sat down on a rock, and looked out at the horizon. Storm clouds were brewing in the distance, but for now, it was sunny. He looked down at his paws, full of sadness for what his life now was. He was nothing now. Without his future-king title, he was just the same as everyone else, not unique or different in anyway.

Suddenly, as he was thinking this, there was a huge clap of thunder, and he heard several screams. Lightning flashed, and he saw his friends – no, the other lion cubs – come running up the stone steps.

"It's him!" screamed Nala, "he's coming!"

"Everybody away from here!" cried Mufasa, picking up Hodari in his mouth while he did so.

"Who's coming, where?" Simba asked, but not to his surprise, he was ignored as the panicked lions rushed past him. He ran after them, but sure enough they all moved faster than ever before. As he was running he heard an ominous cackle coming from behind him. He looked around, and saw the dark silhouette of a lion, moving steadily towards him.

Simba cried out, and ran faster than he had ever ran in his life, but the lion pounced on him.

"HELP ME!" he cried, "DAD! PLEASE HELP ME!"

His father didn't even look around, but kept running with the others.

"HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY!"

"_NO ONE CAN HELP YOU NOW!"_

"NO! PLEASE! HELP!"

The lion laughed again, and raised a paw over the petrified cub…

Simba's eyes flew open, and someone was standing over him.

He cried out in terror, and screwed up his eyes again.

"No! It's okay, it's me!"

He looked up, and saw that it was Arianna. The fur around her eyes was wet.

"You've been crying out in your sleep," she said, looking concerned.

"Oh," Simba said, then he remembered the dream.

"You're shaking," she continued.

"It was… just…a dream… a bad dream."

She opened her mouth to speak, when Scar swept into the den. Arianna backed away from Simba, as if being with him was a punishable offence. She did not meet Scar's eyes. He had not been back since the birth.

"Now," he said to her, "seeing as _that's_ over with, we can try again when we're able to."

Arianna said nothing, but looked down at the ground.

"And there had better be males," growled Scar, "If not, there's no telling what I might do."

He moved closer to her, "now, come."

She had no choice but to follow him as he led her out.

Once again, Simba was left alone. He lay on the cold ground and thought of the terrible dream that had all but confirmed his worst fears. He was sure of it now, he had been forgotten.

**A/N: This was a sad chapter to write. I've seen people writing on the comments that they hope this will end soon. Sadly, this story is only about half finished, so Simba's struggle is far from over. What will happen next?**


	12. Conflicting Emotions

**Dearest DJ and Jonny2b**

**If you hate my story, please stop reading it.**

**Kisses,**

**Lucy xxx**

God, my stress levels are OFF THE CHARTS!

Today is Tuesday, and the last couple of weeks have been amazingly stressful! I've been doing a hell of a lot of controlled assessments, and they are terrible, but you have to do them if you want to get good marks in your GCSEs. I've had at least one a week for the past 3 weeks, so writing has been pretty far down my list of priorities. Sorry about that.

The reason I didn't upload a chapter last weekend was because it was my best friend's 16th birthday. Amazing fun. We went out for dinner and then partied on down at her house. After we all sat down and watched… yep, THE LION KING! It has been a while since I watched it for start to finish, so it was good to see it again. Also, I'm going to see it in 3D next Friday. So excited for that too! Happy Birthday, Emma. Hope you had a good one!

I also have a review I need to respond to (this could become a regular opener)

Ecuckler (think I spelled it right)

Simba was having a nightmare. Mufasa and Sarabi didn't really have another cub. Simba is going through a very hard time right now. He doesn't know what's going on outside. He has a paranoia that he has been forgotten by everyone he cares about, and this is causing him to have bad dreams about it.

Also, despite what some of you seem to think, I do not, I repeat, **DO NOT **hate Simba. "Why can't you just progress the story"? I am! I'm exploring the deep psychological turmoil that Simba is in. Do you think writing about torturing (not torching) a lion cub is some creepy fettish I have? NO!

Chapter Eleven: Conflicting Emotions

"_Oh brother, I can't, I can't get through_

_I've been trying hard to reach you 'cause I don't know what to do,_

_Oh brother I can't believe it's true,_

_I'm so scared about the future, and I want to talk to you,_

_Oh I want to talk with you…"_

-Coldplay, Talk

Scar was not an early riser, but one morning, he awoke when the sun was just beginning to appear over the horizon, and could not get back to sleep. He looked to his right, and saw Arianna. She was sleeping against the wall, as far away from him as the tiny den would allow. Sprawled across the floor to his left was Simba. He was so battered, you would have thought he were dead were his sides not gently rising and falling in time to his breathing. Scar stood up, and quietly left the den. As he emerged into the main cave, he cast a look towards Mufasa and Sarabi. They were pressed tightly together, with Sarabi's head nuzzled deep into Mufasa's mane. Why wouldn't Arianna be like that with him?

_It's because she hates you._

"No, that can't be!" Scar muttered to himself.

_Of course she does. You forced her virginity away from her, killed her cubs… who wouldn't hate you? You're a foul, loathsome creature._

Scar's brain continued to torment him. He ran outside, and quickly climbed to the very peak of Pride Rock. He stared out at the desolate landscape. There was no sign of life anywhere.

"Why have you done this, brother?"

Scar jumped and turned around. Mufasa stood there, his face solemn.

"What do you want?" he spat.

"Can't a lion watch the sunrise anymore?"

He moved to stand beside Scar, but did not look at him.

"I wouldn't have put you down as an early riser, Mufasa," Scar muttered.

"I was used to it," Mufasa replied, "when _Simba _was around."

Scar found himself digging his claws into the ground. There was a moment of silence.

"Are you happy now?" Mufasa spat, "is this what you wanted?"

They both surveyed the barren land.

"It's not that bad," muttered Scar.

"Don't lie to yourself, Taka,"

"DON'T!" he cried, squaring up to Mufasa, "DON'T CALL ME THAT."

"So what if I do?"

"I'll-"

Scar growled. He turned away from his brother and looked out to the horizon. He could no longer tell where the Pridelands ended and the outlands began.

Mufasa continued, relentlessly.

"What do you have to gain," he asked, "from hurting anyone any more?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you do," growled Mufasa, "you kidnapped my son, destroyed the Pridelands, forced yourself upon Arianna…"

"BE QUIET!" Scar screamed, "JUST, STOP!"

"Will pretending none of its real make it untrue?"

Scar did not answer. Somewhere deep within him, he though he felt resentment for the things he had done. He didn't want Mufasa to sense his weakness, so he said nothing and pushed the thoughts away from him. He secretly agreed with his brother. Dear God, what was this feeling? He looked at him, and saw something which he hadn't seen before. He saw extreme sadness, and pain. He had caused this? With a growl of confusion he stormed back down to the main den. Upon entering, he saw lionesses pushing their cubs back, away from him. Their eyes showed suffering. He ignored them all, and ran up to his own cave. Arianna was lying down, but she leapt to attention when she saw him, backing up against the wall. Scar looked over at Simba, who cowered under his gaze. His tiny eyes were wide and filled with fear, and his tail was firmly tucked between his legs.

Scar turned away from him and swept out of the den. He ran out of the cave and off Pride Rock. He looked around him. There were bones everywhere, but apart from that, there was no sign that anything here had ever been alive. He ran until he reached the river bed. He was so perplexed. Where were these sudden feelings coming from? Could it be that he had shut himself away from all emotion for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like? He wondered if it could have something to do with the past. He remembered the harsh words of his father that had never left his memory, even after all these years…

_If you were half the son Mufasa is…_

His anger had returned.

_I'm more than half the son Mufasa is! _He thought heatedly. Now he understood why he had done what he had. To prove to them all that for once… he could be supreme. Mufasa had always beaten him at everything, from cub games to winning the kingship… and now he had won again. Everyone hated "King" Scar more than ever before.

He growled audiably. He didn't care about them. All the emotions he had felt so suddenly were gone as quickly as they had come. He began to walk towards Pride Rock, filled with indifference.

He entered his cave to get some sleep. His earlier conflicting emotions must have been caused by his severe tiredness. At least, he hoped that's what it had been. He didn't want to feel this way ever again. Arianna was gone, but, as always, Simba was still there. How badly Scar wanted to get him out of the way. It would be done easily enough. One swift bite to the neck and it would be finished…

He was reminded of the incident with his own cubs just a few weeks previously. He had just shoved Sarabi from the den, and he turned to look at Arianna. Her eyes were filled with terror.

"Scar, please!"

"Give me that cub!"

"No… no, don't! Stop!"

She tried to shield the tiny creature with her paws. Scar leapt on her knocking her out of the way. He stood over his daughter. She was crying out for her mother. The tiny cries were not enough to break through the stone walls of Scar's heart. It was as if every ounce of emotion had been sucked from him. With a slight snarl, he lunged downwards and sank his fangs into the cub's neck. It's squeal of pain was drowned out by the scream that issued from Arianna. He shook the tiny form in his mouth to make sure it was dead. There was no response.

With that, he exited the den and threw the child, the child he had so brutally murdered, to the hyenas.

And after it all, he felt no regrets. Staring over at Simba in the corner he felt it would be easy to do it again. He had loathed this creature since the day he had found out that he was to be born. He knew he would be a male, just to spite him. For a second, he thought he would really do it, but then the plan would be ruined. He needed an heir. A _male _heir. A female would never be fit to rule.

All thoughts of sleep had now left him. He exited the den, in search of Arianna.

**Em… I feel OK about this chapter. I wanted to show that Scar isn't necessarily as transparent as I made him out to be. He does have thoughts of his own. **

**Oh yes, this is by far the best set of PMs I have ever got from anyone. (They're from lieder) **

Now whenever I turn the television on, I half expect the following message:

"Further episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit have been put on indefinite hiatus, as all the detectives, in addition to the resident psychiatrist and the district attorney, are currently involved in a rather complicted case in Kenya. Charges of double attempted homicide, capital homicide, kidnapping, and first-degree sexual assault have just been filed in district court."

That might not even be an exhaustive list...I don't think it would be hard to convince a jury. The prosecution would be having a field day!

Just for the hell of it I went and figured out how much jail time Scar would be serving at the moment were he caught, tried and convicted in a US court. The total? 1 life sentence without the possibility of parole for the cub killing (AKA you don't get of jail...ever), 25 years for aggravated sexual assault of a minor, at least one year if not more for kidnapping in the first degree, 10 years for EACH instance of assault against a minor (that's got to be 100 years alone), and 5 to 8 years for each count of attempted homicide (there's two of them). Grand total? 40 years, give or take, for the lesser charges, who the hell knows how many years for the bazillion assault chargers...and a life sentence on top of that.

Let's just hope the DA doesn't find him, and yes, now that you mention it, I do have too much free time!

Hope to see more soon!

**Thanks for the feedback everyone, it really means a lot! **


	13. Secret Rendezvous

**Dear Jonny2b and DJ**

**I'm extremely sorry for my outburst in the last chapter. It was very uncharacteristically rude of me. I was just a bit annoyed about things that had been happening at that time (you don't know the true meaning of the word "bitch" until you go to an all-girls school). I truly do appreciate you guys' feedback and I hate to think that I've put you off the story by so publicly calling you out. I'm so, so sorry. **

**Besos**

**Lucy **

So, today I decided to change the genres of the story. It was changed to drama/suspense to crime/hurt/comfort. I wasn't quite sure what hurt/comfort was, so I looked it up on google, and look at what ironically came up (since you aren't allowed web links in fanfictions it was the first google result)

"**Hurt/comfort** (often shortened to h/c) is a fan-fiction genre where the plot is generally summarized by the name: one character is hurt, and at least one other character provides comfort. The injury can be minor but is generally quite severe and traumatic, and often life-threatening."

OK, seems allright…

"Hurt/comfort stories tend to be highly dramatic and many claim the popularity of the genre is from taking strong characters and putting them in situations where they are made physically and emotionally vulnerable-both the injured character and those who comfort him or her."

I see…

Then, further on down (under examples)

"**Torture** - can lead to other types of injuries, or may involve emotional anguish, long imprisonment/separation from the other characters"

"Damn," I thought, "that's this story in one." But then on to the "criticism" section.

"Some fan-fiction readers have raised criticisms and objections to the genre. One criticism is of the extreme, unrealistic lengths to which some writers will injure and torture their characters. Without a certain amount of medical knowledge or research, writers may put their characters through hurt which should have realistically killed them or caused long-lasting affects afterwards. Some also feel it has become a "cheap" and too cliched method of trying to get characters together for a romantic relationship."

I wouldn't cite Scar's treatment of Simba as "extreme". After all, Simba is the reason Scar could never be rightfully King, and so why he resorted to such measures as he has. All he's really been doing is battering Simba about, it's not like he's been repeatedly stabbing/shooting him (though he has been scratching him). I'm not saying that they won't cause long lasting effects, however. Also, as Arianna seems to be the one doing the most "comforting" here, she is definitely not after a romantic relationship with Simba.

And, finally, this is the last time I will say this. **I do not hate Simba. **Period.

Well, this has used up a whole page in a word document. That's quite enough. On with the story!

Chapter Twelve: Secret Rendezvous

Things were getting worse for the lions of Pride Rock. Scar had put new laws in place, seemingly out of the blue. For one, no one could leave Pride Rock without asking him first. Secondly, cubs were banned from leaving at all, and hyenas patrolled the Pride Rock perimeter at all times to make sure no one tried to sneak out for any reason. For most, this didn't matter much, as they had no desire to venture out into the Pride Lands, except to hunt, and it meant that most of the hyenas were out of the den. For one lioness, however, this had devastating effects.

Sarafina had been going to see Ni most nights, and had wanted to take Nala and Mheetu to meet their father. Now she had no chance. She could not ask Scar if she could go out on her own, as it would rouse suspicion. She could not go see him while the lionesses were on the hunt because they needed all the help they could get. She did not dare try to sneak her cubs off of Pride Rock because Scar had given the hyenas express permission to have any cub that was found trying to get out. Sarafina thought this was probably because they had been given a taste for cub blood, and their desire for it was more than ever. She sighed, and tried to think of what to do.

Mufasa had been rather subdued since his talk with his brother. Somewhere deep within him, he hoped he could talk Scar into letting Simba go, but looking back now, he felt stupid for it. Did he really think it would be that easy to break Scar, after all this time? The desire to challenge him was overwhelming, but as long as Simba was with him, he did not dare. He though of everything he could. Could he threaten Scar with something? With what? He seemed to have everything he wanted. Talking had done no good, and revolution would only get Simba killed. Sighing, he decided to take a walk. He knew he was supposed to ask Scar permission to leave, but he couldn't be bothered with him right now. Anyway, the hyenas that had been chosen for the patrol were all either sleeping, or were preoccupied by bones covered in rotting flesh. Slipping past them was no problem.

As he walked through the barren land, he thought of rescue. If he could just somehow get into Scar's den (maybe when he wasn't there) and grab Simba, then maybe he could get him somewhere safe while he took down Scar. His heart began to beat faster. Could he really do it?

No. His heart came crashing down. There were hyenas everywhere, even with loads of them outside, not to mention the sentry hyena. Scar had chosen the strongest most skilled fighter to guard his domain, and it barely ever slept. The only way past would be to kill it, and while he did that, the others would surely be alerted. Sighing with frustration, he continued on his way. One thing was for certain: he had to and was going to do something. This had gone on for too long.

He had been silent for quite some time, when he heard voices. Crouching among some bones, he crept forward. He was behind a fallen tree, when he saw a tail sticking out from the other side of it. He peered around, and saw a male lion. He was quite muscular, with a full thick mane. His pelt was a light brown colour, and his mane was deep red. A growl rumbled in the back of his throat, and he prepared to spring. He roared, and leapt at the intruder. The lion yelped in surprise and quickly whirled round just as Mufasa landed on top of him, snarling.

"Mufasa?"

Mufasa looked over, and saw Sarabi and Sarafina standing there, looking stunned.

"What are you doing?" Sarabi continued, "Get off of him!"

He quickly stepped off of the other male, but was still confused.

"What on earth-"

"It's all right, Mufasa," said Sarafina, "I think I should explain."

"Yes," Mufasa replied, "I think you had better."

"This is Ni," she replied, "he's my mate."

Mufasa looked over at Ni, an apologetic look on his face. The younger lion grinned back, showing he was fine.

"Is this Mheetu's father?"

"And Nala's," Ni said, "speaking of which, when can I see them?"

He looked lovingly at Sarafina, "that's all I ask, to see my cubs…"

"I know, honeytree, I'm trying."

He nuzzled her warmly, but obviously was not happy. He turned to Mufasa.

"I hear you're in a spot of bother?"

"Yes," Mufasa began, "but it's fine… I don't need-"

"Oh, I don't think it's fine," interrupted Ni, "from what I've been told, this "Scar" guy is preventing three of us from seeing our cubs."

Ni seemed so confident, Mufasa couldn't speak. He supposed it had just been so long since he had been in contact with another adult male lion who wasn't Scar. Ni was the polar opposite of him. Friendly, warm, loving to his mate…

"We thought that Ni could help us, Mufasa," Sarabi said, "he showed us where a few of the herds moved to, that's why he's so much stronger. He and you could take down Scar!"

Her eyes were shining with hope. Hope that, somehow, she might get to see her child again soon.

"It," Mufasa started, "it's too risky."

"How is it?"

"What about Simba?"

"He might not last much longer if we don't DO SOMETHING!"

"He'll kill him!"

"HE'S AS GOOD AS DEAD ANYWAY!"

Mufasa stepped back in shock. He had never heard or seen Sarabi yell like that. She looked shocked at herself.

"I… I'm sorry," she said, "I… I just want… I _need _to see him again!"

Her eyes filled with tears.

Ni stepped forward.

"If I may say so, Mufasa," he said, "I think it's best for all if we take action. I mean, just the thought of my mate and cubs living under the same roof as that swine… I can't imagine how you must feel…"

Nobody spoke for a few moments.

"You're right," Mufasa finally said, "We'll do it. I don't know how, but we will."

The two lionesses smiled at their mates.

"We'd better be getting back," said Sarabi, "it's nearly nightfall."

"Tomorrow," said Ni, "same time. Same place."

"Sure."

"Goodbye, my love," purred Sarafina, nuzzling into Ni's mane.

"Goodnight, sunshine," he said, licking her on the cheek.

As the lions parted ways, Mufasa felt his heart fill with hope. Things were going to get better. He knew they would.

They sneaked past the hyenas, most of whom were asleep, and into the den. Arianna had been watching over Nala and Mheetu for Sarafina while she was gone. As they walked over to her, Scar came sweeping down the steps to his den.

"And where were you three?" he crooned.

"On top of Pride Rock," Sarafina quickly said.

"Lies," hissed Scar, "I was just up there, and you weren't. Where were you?"

"What does it matter, brother?" asked Mufasa wearily.

"It matters that you three seem to think you are above the King," Scar continued.

He looked over at little Mheetu, who was playing with a bone on the den floor.

"You'd be best to follow my law, Sarafina," he whispered, "if you don't… well, there's no telling what I might do…"

He watched the little cub, he looked almost hungry at the sight of him.

"You will do no such thing, Scar!" growled Mufasa, "I won't let you."

"Don't think I've forgotten you, Mufasa," the other lion intoned, "are you forgetting something? Your little brat is still upstairs, and he's there to stay."

"Not if I can help it," Mufasa replied. He was getting angrier and angrier by the second. It felt like his blood were boiling.

"Is that a challenge?" Scar asked, "maybe you should think twice about that."

Mufasa thought back to all those moons ago, "is that a challenge?" he had asked Scar. That was when he had the upper hand. Oh, how things had changed.

When Mufasa did not reply, Scar smiled triumphantly.

"Thought so," he said, and with that, he slunk up to his den.

As Mufasa watched him go, he could only think of one thing. He needed to get Simba out of there. Fast.


	14. Mounting Pressure

**Damn, just when a month's worth of controlled assessments are over… they throw like five more at you. At least Geography's nearly done, but next week is Spanish writing, and then I have all three science practicals coming my way pretty soon… STRESS!**

**Oh yes, we've hit the 50 review mark! Thanks so much everyone! It truly means a lot to get feedback. (Congrats to Simbah who holds the honour of being the 50****th**** reviewer) **

**And, while I'm here, Ni isn't really an O/C. He appears in one of the TLK books, but I haven't read them, so I don't know what his character is like. Let's say he's half original… ;)**

Chapter Thirteen: Mounting Pressure 

Arianna was pregnant again. Scar's announcement was met exactly as it had been the first time around: by outrage. Arianna once again stayed silent throughout it all, but the strain all this was having on her young demeanour was visible. She was tired all the time, and suffering from too little food. It was looking as though she could lose these cubs, as well.

She did her best to keep away from Scar as much as possible, but it was difficult. She was almost certain that the loss of her first cub was when he smacked her against the wall. Despite the hatred and fear she felt towards the father, she was desperate to have these cubs. She wanted something to nurture and bring up like so may of the other lionesses had. She decided there and then that she'd do everything she could to protect them from Scar's wrath.

Sneaking out to see Ni was becoming harder and harder. Mufasa knew he was a pivotal part of rescuing Simba from Scar's lair. Without Ni's involvement, the plan was useless. He could not take Scar down on his own, and he didn't know how many of the lionesses would be willing to help him. Since the incident with Mheetu, Scar had decreed that any lioness going against his laws would have their cubs slaughtered on the spot. Mufasa had convinced Zazu to relay messages between them, but meeting face to face would be much better for everyone.

"Mufasa."

He looked up.

"Yes?"

"It's the young lion," said Zazu, "he's at the base of Pride Rock."

Mufasa gasped inwardly.

"What's he doing there? Does he want to be caught?"

"I don't know, but he wants to talk with you."

Then, he added,

"Sire."

"I'm not the king, Zazu."

"Yes you are. You are to me. Scar will never be my king."

Mufasa smiled. He felt touched that Zazu still felt so much allegiance to him. He nodded to the bird, and then quickly crept out into the darkness.

As he descended the stone steps, he looked around. He couldn't see Ni anywhere.

"Mufasa!" someone whispered.

He turned around, and saw two green orbs floating in the darkness. He moved towards them.

"Are you _trying _to get yourself caught?"

"I know, I know…" Ni said, "But I have to see my cubs. I have to see Sarafina…"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because," Mufasa snapped, "it's too dangerous. Scar says he'll kill the cubs of any lioness breaking the law-"

Ni cut him off.

"If that snake touches my cubs I swear I'll-"

He made to lunge up the steps, a deep growl rumbling in his throat.

"Stop! That won't do anyone any good! He's already got his eye on your son; don't give him an excuse to-"

This pushed Ni over the edge.

"I'll kill him… so help me… I'LL KILL HIM!"

This shout had roused the hyenas, which the lions had forgotten weren't too far away.

"Go," Mufasa said, "we can talk later."

"But-"

"GO, Ni."

Ni, looking as though he really didn't want to, quickly ran off into the darkness. Mufasa briefly watched him go, before silently dashing back up to the den.

Through everything, Simba was still up in Scar's den. For six long and gruelling moons he had been trapped here, without a notion as to what was going on in the life that had been taken from him so suddenly. Despite Scar's abuse dying down slightly, the long hours spent alone with his own thoughts gave him time to think. He had given up hope of ever getting out of here, what was he going to miss? He thought of the Kingdom he would never inherit… the mate and cubs he would never have… how did it feel to bring down a kill, or chase away an intruder? He supposed he would just have to wonder forever.

Every time that Scar entered the den, Simba would back himself as far into the corner of the den as he could, tensed up, ready for a blow. Scar rarely said a word to him, but would lie down and sleep, or even talk to himself sometimes. Simba had stopped listening to Scar's mutterings, mainly because he often repeated himself. They were usually about Arianna or the other lions or retaining his title, but for now, he was silent. As the adult lion lay down, the scraping sound of the rock being moved could be heard. A hyena stood in the entrance.

"What do you want?"

"King Scar," it said, "I have urgent news for you."

"Go on…"

"A rogue lion has been sighted."

Scar's head shot up off of the floor.

"A… a rogue?"

"Yes, sire."

Scar leapt up and charged out of the den. He leapt up onto a boulder and roared to gather the lions together.

"Lions!" he called, "a rogue has been seen in the pride lands."

A great muttering broke out amongst the Pride. A rogue? Could this be the answer to their prayers? Beside her, Sarabi saw Sarafina become suddenly tense.

"This lion will be tracked down and killed," Scar continued, "but if I find out that anyone has been affiliated with him in any way," he looked over at Mufasa, Sarabi and Sarafina, "there will be major consequences."

Scar leapt down from the rock and left the den, with a large group of hyenas following him. Mufasa sprinted over to Zazu.

"Zazu," he panted, "find Ni. Tell him to get out of here, and that I'll send word when it's safe."

"But, Mufasa-"

"Please," he begged, "just do it. Just… find him before they do."

The bird hesitated for a moment before finally flying off.

Despite Ni's muscularity, Scar was much older than him, and had a band of hyenas to back him up. He would never be able to fight them all off. Mufasa's heart beat had quickened. Had all hope of getting Simba back been shot?

He glanced over to where Sarabi was. She was doing her best to comfort a trembling Sarafina.

"It'll be all right, honeytree."

"No… no he won't."

"Mufasa has just sent Zazu out. He'll find him. Please don't worry."

"But," a gasping sob escaped from her, "what if Scar finds him first?"

Tears began to well up in the lioness' eyes.

"He never even got to see his cubs!" she wailed.

"My dear," Sarabi said, as gently as possible, "you need to be quiet. There's still hyenas around."

Sarafina did her best to stifle her cries, until she eventually calmed down.

A few hours later, Scar and his hyenas returned. By the look on Scar's face, they had been unsuccessful in finding Ni. Zazu came back a few moments later, and landed in front of Mufasa.

"He has retreated to the outlands, and awaits further news."

"Thank You, Zazu."

As Zazu hopped away, Mufasa cast a look up to Scar's den, just as he was entering.

_Don't worry, Simba_, he thought, _I'm going to get you out._


	15. An Attack

RIP Steve Jobs.

Despite the irrelevancy, I had immense respect for him. I have the iPhone 4, and I can't imagine my life without it. It keeps me organised, entertained, and I use it every single day. Plus, the apple store is my favourite shop to go to, and when I'm meeting someone in town, that's where we always meet. Thanks for everything, Steve.

Lucy xxx

GEOGRAHY IS DONE! PARTY ON DOWN!

Oh, wait… NEXT WEEK IS SPANISH. Darn.

I will be inactive from the 24th- 28th October as I am going on a school trip to France, but I will do my best to make it up before I leave, and as the week after I'm off school, I'll probably find time to write more then (provided I'm not given too much homework)

Oh yes, I saw the Lion King in 3D yesterday. It was absolutely brilliant, and other happenings made for an absolutely brilliant day!

Chapter Fourteen: An Attack

Simba was staring up at the ceiling of Scar's den. He was rather used to this by now, as there wasn't much else that he could do. He had lost track of how long he had been stuck in here for, and was surprised he still had his sanity. Or did he? He wasn't sure. It had been so long since he had talked to someone properly. Arianna was very rarely in here without Scar, and as long as he was there, she didn't dare attempt to make any kind of contact with him. How he missed the company of other people. He was alone almost constantly, with only the odd mouse scuttling through between the gaps in the rocks as a companion. They would always take one look at the cub and quickly dart away into the darkness.

As the cub lay alone with his thoughts, he could hear a disturbance coming from outside. The rock was moved and Scar came sweeping into the den. Simba assumed his normal position in the corner.

"Listen to me, cub," he whispered dangerously in Simba's face, "don't think for one second that you're getting out of here."

Simba looked fearfully up at him.

"That rogue…I know very well that he's working with your father to get you back… it won't work. IT WON'T… I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT!"

"But… I don't under-"

"BE QUIET!"

He thwacked the cub across the den floor, and shoved his face right infront of Simba's.

"Your father thinks I don't know what he's up to. He's wrong, I know exactly…"

Scar seemed to stop talking to Simba, and now to himself. He walked to the opposite side of the tiny cave, muttering rapidly.

"I'll stop him; I'll kill him if he tries anything-"

He stopped suddenly. The answer had been staring him in the face for a long time now, and he hadn't realised!

"Yes!" Scar cried, "kill Mufasa!"

That had been his original plan, why didn't he just finish him off sooner?

"No!" Simba cried. He hadn't seen him for so long, but he didn't want to feel the pain of losing his father all over again.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Scar cried back, his eyes were wide with madness. As the lion moved towards him, Simba backed into the wall.

"Once your father is out of the way… you will die as well!"

The expression on Scar's face was pure evil. It terrified the cub, who began to shake violently. Scar looked at him for only a moment more, before quickly crossing the den in two strides. He shoved the rock out of the way, and left.

"No!" cried Simba. He ran across the den as quickly as his weak body would allow, just as the rock moved back into position. He slid across the floor and rammed into it. He tried to push the rock out of the way, but it was so big, and he so weak, that it wouldn't budge. He yelled out in frustration, but it was barely audible. He groaned and pushed with all his might, but there was no way out. He ran around the den looking for a small crevice or hole he could escape through. When he found none, he tried to shout. He shouted so much that his already weak voice became hoarse, but still he was never heard. Simba flopped down onto the floor, as tears began to roll down his cheeks. His father was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Scar chose the hyenas for the job wisely. He chose the strongest, the quick witted and the ones who had the most hatred for Mufasa, the latter being Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The former king had killed their mother whilst patrolling the Pridelands' border many moons ago, and it had hit them hard. The matriarch of the pack had been trying to find food for the rest of them when she had been caught. Mufasa had shown no mercy, as was evident when the others discovered her body. Her throat had been ripped out, and she was scratched and bitten almost beyond recognition. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for some revenge.

"You all know what to do?"

The hyenas nodded, and went howling into the night. Scar gave a smirk and followed them. This was something he had to see.

Mufasa was headed for the outlands. Too much time had passed since he had talked to Ni, and they needed to make progress. Simba wasn't getting any closer to getting out than before, and that needed to change. Ni's scent was still present, and Mufasa had followed it from Pride Rock, hoping to find him. It was very late at night now; the sky was an inky black colour, and the moon was full and bright. This had been the sixth moon since Simba had been taken hostage, and hopefully the last.

The Pride Lands were completely silent. The only living things left were the lions and the hyenas, and none of them ever ventured this far away from Pride Rock. Not even the lionesses when they were hunting. He was nearing the border now, and Ni's scent was getting stronger all the time. He stopped to take in the scene. Where there would have once been greenery slowly merging with dry earth, there was just barren land. There was nothing to suggest that these were two different territories at all, not to mention the fact that Scar never scent marked the borders, either.

Suddenly, a cackling noise from behind him made him whip around. It was a hyena.

"What do you want, scum?"

Several more sets of glowing eyes emerged from behind a pile of bones, and as Mufasa looked around he could see that more were beginning to circle around him. He tried to growl, but he became uncertain when even more began to appear. There must have been about twenty or more, each one laughing and moving steadily towards him. He tensed his muscles, and prepared to fight. He kept turning round to try and face them all at once, but it was too difficult, and they were all getting closer by the second.

All of a sudden, there was a ferocious snarl from behind him. He whirled around to face the attack head on. He had turned in time to have a hyena land on his back, and then, without warning, they descended upon him. He roared in pain as what seemed like thousands of teeth began to tear into his flesh. He slashed at them with his claws, but it was getting hard to see. He shook the blood out of his eyes and tore the hyenas from his body, rearing up whist he did so. His body was slowly getting more and more fatigued, and he was losing more and more blood every second. There were just too many for him to fight off. Still, he valiantly fought on, grabbing a hyena by the neck and flinging it away. It hit the ground, yelping. It sprawled across the dirt before running away into the darkness.

He could feel the hyenas getting fewer, but his body still felt like it were on fire, and the stronger ones were the ones that were left. They were literally hanging off of him, one biting into his neck. The one thing driving him throughout the entire attack was the thought of Simba. Without him, he was doomed to spend forever in Scar's lair. He shuddered, and then let out the loudest roar he had ever given in his life. He wheeled round and leapt on the last hyena, grabbing it by the throat and shaking it as hard as he could. He bit down harder, and dropped it just as he heard its dying scream. Mufasa stood, and looked around. The ground was stained red with lion and hyena blood, and his body was streaked with his own. He could feel his legs wobbling, before he eventually collapsed onto the ground. He lay, breathing heavily, before everything went black.

Little did he know, only a short distance away was Scar. He gave a small laugh, before turning back to Pride Rock.


	16. Against all Odds

Chapter Fifteen: Against all Odds

Sarabi was growing frantic. Mufasa had left several hours ago, and had still not returned. It wasn't very far to the outlands from Pride Rock, so something terrible must have happened. Scar, too, was no where to be found. She was unsettled by the thought that he might have something to do with it. The other Pride members were all settling down to sleep, but Sarabi just lay down, her eyes glued to the den entrance.

She waited for hours, until finally, at dawn, Scar returned. He appeared to have stayed out all night. Without a word to anyone he sauntered across the cave and up to his den. He could wait until later to tell the others of Mufasa's fate. Upon entering, he looked over at Arianna, who was asleep against the wall. He would wait until she was gone before finishing the cub off. Soon all the stress of the situation would be gone. Simba was in the corner, curled tight into a ball, apparently sleeping. He was twitching, and making strange noises. Probably due to a dream he was having, Scar imagined. Yawning, he stretched and lay down.

He awoke what seemed many hours later. Arianna was gone, so it must have been quite late in the afternoon. He stood up, deciding to get this over with and exited the den. He proceeded to leap onto the rock that he always gave his address from.

"Lions!" he called.

The lionesses began to congregate around the base of the rock. He noticed Sarabi drag herself away from the entrance to listen to what he had to say. He surveyed them all, before letting the words delicately form on his lips.

"My brother… is dead."

"NO!"

Cries of outrage and grief echoed around the cave, and Sarabi, who had been the one to cry out, was looking up at Scar is disbelief. Her whole world had seemingly ended. Mufasa. Her love… her everything. Gone. Not only that, all hope for Simba… the pride… there seemed no way to get rid of Scar now. It seemed that everyone she loved and cared about was being taken away from her. Tears began to flow freely from her eyes and down her cheeks, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop them.

Scar saw no need to continue. He had delivered the news, and that was all that was needed. He jumped down from the rock and headed towards his den, intent on wiping out all living memory of his brother for good. He entered, and saw that Arianna was there, crying. The cub in the corner, too, had tears running down his cheeks. He must have heard from inside the den. Scar let out a frustrated growl. He would have to wait for her to leave before he could do anything.

"Why do you cry, my dear?" he asked smoothly.

She looked up, and glared at him.

"Like you don't know," she glowered. Scar had never seen her look or act this defiant. The tone in her voice was something he had never heard from her before.

"You think I did this?" he asked, his voice dripping with mock surprise, "it was the hyenas. They were driven mad with hunger-"

"You LIE!" she screamed back, leaping to her feet. Scar stepped back from her. Where had this sudden change in character come from?

"I heard you talking to those THINGS! I heard you telling them what to do! This is your fault! Everything's your fault!"

Incensed by her sudden disrespect for him, Scar began to yell back.

"Would you care to explain that, _DEAR _Arianna?"

"You know EXACTLY what I mean! You destroyed the Pride Lands! Murdered your own brother twice! Killed your daughter, you-"

Scar could take it no longer. He swiped one of his huge paws at her face, creating a huge gash the length of her cheek. She gave a shriek as he hit her, and blood began to flow down her face and neck and drip onto the floor.

"Don't you DARE talk to me like that ever again," Scar whispered dangerously, "or I'll kill you."

"Go ahead," she breathed back, "go on. I dare you to."

Scar hesitated.

"No," he finally said, "my heir's in your belly. My _male _heir."

"I knew it… you don't have the guts to do it. You're weak, weaker than-"

"I AM NOT WEAK!" Scar roared.

"Prove it."

Scar looked over at Simba. His eyes were wide with terror at the sight of the confrontation. The adult lion grabbed the cub, and dragged him across the den floor towards him. Simba didn't even try to struggle against him, what did he have left to live for?

Arianna's eyes grew wide.

"No! No, I didn't mean it!"

"I was going to wait until you were gone to do this…"

"Don't! Don't you dare!"

"Why not? Mufasa is gone, there is no need for him anymore. Finally, I will be free of my brother. For good this time!"

Arianna stared at him.

"You've gone mad!"

"Have I, my dear? HAVE I?"

He raised his paw to strike. Simba watched it rise higher into the air. Soon all his suffering would be finished…

As Scar prepared to end the cub's life, a single word made him stop in his tracks.

"Mufasa!"

His heart froze. It couldn't be, this wasn't happening. He burst out of the den, and sure enough, standing in the entrance to the cave, covered in blood, was Mufasa. His breathing was ragged, and there were wounds covering his entire body. The hyenas hadn't left a single area untouched.

Scar let out a growl as his brother slowly walked to a corner of the den and lay down. Sarabi was licking him, doing her best to clean up the blood that drenched his fur, and the rest of the Pride had gathered around him. He couldn't understand how this lion, the lion he loathed so much, had defied all the odds for a second time. Once again, Mufasa was victorious, and Scar had failed. But there was still hope. He could definitely defeat him now, he was so weak. He couldn't do it with the lionesses around, they would definitely try to stop him. Behind him, Arianna came out of the den. She looked over at Mufasa, and then back at Scar.

"Pathetic," she spat, "your plan didn't even work when someone else did it for you."

"Be quiet, girl."

"No," she quickly retorted, "he's better than you, always has been, and he always will!"

Scar roared and prepared to strike her again, but she beat him to it. She batted him away from her with her claws and ran down to where the others were before he had time to react.

He went to run after her, but decided against it. As he felt rage welling up inside of him, he stormed out of Pride Rock.

Meanwhile, Mufasa was lying on the den floor, recounting the attack to the others, when Zazu came flying into the den, looking flustered. Mufasa had sent the bird ahead to tell Ni that he was on his way, before he had been ambushed.

"What is it Zazu?"

"I was going to deliver your message to that rogue, like you ordered, sir," he panted.

"Yes, go on."

"And… we – we heard tell from another rogue that you had been attacked – and… I came back to check – but… he's on his way here, now!"

Mufasa stopped.

"He's coming here? No! He can't come back until it's safe!"

"I tried to stop him, sir, but he wouldn't listen to me!"

"It' fine, it's not your fault… just… just go find him and tell him that I say he needs to go back, and-"

But, he didn't finish, for Scar had just re-entered the den, a fiendish smile on his face, and he was looking pointedly at Mufasa.

"The rogue," he said to the Pride, "has been captured."

**AGHH! We're nearing our climax! What on earth will happen next?**


	17. The Beginning of the End

**JUST BACK FROM FRANCE. I had a brilliant time, and it's the reason for such a delayed update, but here you are. I might tiny URL some of the photos so you can see them and put them on my profile.**

**There's 4-5 chapters left! In Shakespeare terms (which I've been doing in English recently) we are entering the Climax (act 4 usually), to be followed by the denouement (act 5 usually). A question I'd like to ask, how do you think this will end? I'm not giving any clues, but I know what's going to happen. It'll be interesting to see what you all think. In fact, I'll put a poll on my page, so please! Go Vote!**

Chapter 16: The Beginning of the End

Mufasa's mind was whirling. No. This could not happen. They had no plan, no idea of what they were supposed to do… what was going to happen now? The idiot! Why didn't he stay where he was? They wouldn't be in this mess if he had. Sweet Aiheu, Scar would kill him for sure, or banish him at the very least, but that was unlikely. Mufasa found that he was still staring at Scar sometime after, not sure what to say or do. What could he do? Ni had been caught, and all he could think of was Simba, now surely doomed to spend forever in Scar's lair.

As Scar moved towards the centre of the den, Ni entered, surrounded by a group of hyenas, trying to turn and growl at each one. His face showed bravery and anger, but Mufasa could tell; he was terrified. Was he trying to look tough in front of Sarafina? Mufasa didn't know, but he was still annoyed at him and worried as to what Scar was going to do next. He was grinning from ear to ear, looking completely overjoyed at his catch. He had cornered them for sure.

"Ni!"

Sarafina was on her feet, and bounded across the den in two strides. She leapt over the hyena guard, and began to nuzzle him lovingly. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and all anyone could do was watch them embrace. Scar, however, stared in sudden realisation. He glanced over at Nala and Mheetu, who were being protected from the other hyenas by Sarabi. It all made sense now. He watched as Sarafina nuzzled into his mane, and he was nuzzling her back, their bodies brushing, licking each other…

"Mufasa's the father, eh?" he whispered to himself.

Meanwhile, Ni had broken away from Sarafina.

"Where are they?"

"Where are who, honeytree?"

"My cubs! Let me see them."

He only needed to follow Sarafina's gaze to where Sarabi was standing. His eyes lit up, and he began to move towards them. The hyenas moved in to attack, but Scar stopped them discreetly.

"Wait," he whispered to their leader, "we can have fun with this."

He watched as Ni trotted across the den, eyes alight with wonder. Sarafina was close behind him.

The male lion moved in to lick Nala on the ears, but she took a step back, and looked to her mother, not knowing what was happening.

"Nala," said Sarafina softly, "this is your father."

Nala stared up at the hulking frame before her, not sure what to say or do.

"She has your eyes," Ni said, looking at Sarafina. She smiled back at him.

Sarabi moved back to where Mufasa was. She was smiling at the sight of the family before her, but she was surprised to see Mufasa looking so grave next to her.

"What's the matter?" she whispered.

"He's been caught," Mufasa whispered back, "I don't know what we can do for Simba now, and Aiheu knows what Scar's going to do."

This thought had not occurred to her. Despite the happy scene playing out in front of them, Mufasa was right. It was not good for Ni to be here. Maybe there was still a chance of him getting out, but what would Scar do to Sarafina? She was suddenly scared for her friend, but decided that she would do everything she could to protect her.

It seemed that Sarafina and Ni had completely forgotten the others were there. The male lion was completely captivated by the tiny cubs before him, and was nuzzling little Mheetu on the head, Sarafina looking on fondly.

Then, they were brought sharply back to reality.

"Well…. Isn't this positively _touching_?"

They all quickly looked up, and Scar was sneering back at them.

"You lied to me, Sarafina," he continued, "you said that Mufasa was the father of that cub."

Sarafina said nothing.

"You know what we do with liars… and conforming with a rogue… dear me. How many laws can one lioness break?"

She remained completely silent, but Ni tore his eyes away from his cubs and stepped in front of her.

"Don't talk to her like that," he said, somewhat menacingly, "I've know what you've done. You're a tyrant, everyone can see what you've done, and I'm here to tell you that I'm going to stop you!"

Scar laughed outwardly.

"Oh, really? You? Ha… you can try, boy, but it won't work!"

Ni growled loudly, causing Scar to step back slightly. For a rogue he seemed extremely confindent, though, of course Scar had no experience with them. Maybe taking him down wouldn't be so easy after all. The hyenas would have to help him.

"My hyenas tell me that they've seen you before," Scar went on, "and it seems to me that you're working with my brother…"

"Why would I do that?" Ni asked, casually.

"Why wouldn't you? I have everything he wants! His son, his title, his kingdom, he'd stop at nothing to get them back!"

Mufasa felt a lump forming in his throat, and he had arched his back. This wasn't going to end without a fight.

"Even if I am," said Ni, "either way I'm going to get rid of you. You're not going to hurt anyone else, not while I'm here."

The hyenas were beginning to gather around the confrontation, waiting for a signal from Scar to tell them what to do. Scar himself was unsure, should he just kill him and have it over with?

"I'll fight you," Ni continued, "and if I win, you'll get out. And stay out."

Scar considered the offer. It would be close.

The two lions stared at each other for a few seconds, and the den was completely silent. Then, without warning, Scar gave a roar, and threw himself at Ni. He was ready though, and threw the older lion off of him. Scar hit the floor hard, but leapt up quickly, grunting while he did so. He hurled himself at Ni once more, and again he was flung away. Scrambling to his feet, he lunged for Ni's neck and bit down hard. Ni roared and began thrashing to shake him off. Soon, the two lions were just a writhing mass of roaring fur and muscle, moving all across the den, splattering blood and loose fur everywhere. Mufasa tensed his muscles, preparing to leap into the fray if need be. It was impossible to tell who was winning; they were going at it so fast. Roars and yowls were echoing around the walls of the den, practically deafening all who were inside. Several of Scar's most trusted hyenas attempted to aid their master.

"NO!" he cried between slashes, "HE IS MINE!"

It soon became apparent that neither lion was giving up anytime soon. The fight had not lost pace since it had begun, and both lions were thrashing in all directions. Dust was flying everywhere, causing the bystanders, who had been forced up against the walls of the cave, to cough violently. The females rounded up all the cubs to prevent them from being caught in the fight, and were doing their best to protect them from the out-of-control lions, both of whom seemed intent on killing the other. It was a fight to the death.

After what seemed hours, but in reality was only a few minutes, Ni finally threw Scar to the floor and stood on top of him, baring his giant teeth at him, his breathing heavy. Scar, too, was growling and glaring up at Ni. The younger lion opened his mouth, ready to deliver the death bite. Mufasa knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Don't!" he cried out into the silence. Every head turned to look at him. What was he SAYING?

"I know he has done wrong," he began, "but… I won't stand here and watch my brother die."

Ni just stared at him.

"…after all he's done? To you? To everyone?"

"Just go, Scar."

Then, looking at Ni, he said, "get off him."

Scar stood up with difficulty, shaking the blood out of his eyes.

"Fine," he said, looking at Ni, "you've won."

With that, he made to slink out of the den.

Mufasa couldn't believe it. It was over. They had won, and… oh, joy! Simba! Finally, he would be able to see him again…

All of a sudden, just as he was about to exit, Scar stopped, turned, and lunged towards the group of cubs against the wall. They all squealed in terror, and scattered. One, however, wasn't quite quick enough.

Scar had grabbed Nala around the neck, and quickly carried her, struggling violently, to the centre of the den.

Sarafina screamed, but Ni was enraged, teeth bared in a growl so ferocious even Mufasa felt scared watching him.

"Let her go, right now, you swine!"

Scar dropped the terrified cub onto the ground and placed his claws ever-so delicately on her neck.

"_YOU get out of here_!" he hissed, "_or I'll slit her pretty little neck!_"

Mufasa's brain re-wound itself to six moons previously… the parallels between then and now were undeniable…

_Step down as King…or I'll kill him…_

There was no way he was going to stand here and watch this happen all over again.

With a roar, he leapt across the den, onto Scar, sending him away from Nala, who sprinted back to her mother.

The two lions slammed into the floor.

"_GET OUT OF HERE, SCAR!" _he screamed, _"THIS ENDS HERE!"_

He stared down at him, loathing every inch of him. He was sure of it now; he should have let Ni have him when he had the chance…

Scar roared back at him, equally hating his brother, and, summoning every ounce of strength he had, threw him off.

In the few seconds that he had, he looked up to the sentry hyena, who, through it all, was still standing outside his den.

"_Kill the cub!"_

**AHHH! GO VOTE!**


	18. To Die For

**100 REVIEWS! SERIOUSLY? YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!**

**Congratulations to Challenger2011, you hold the honour of being 100th reviewer. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me throughout this whole thing, it means a lot. We're just chapters away from the end now, and I'm going to leave the vote up for a little while longer, because it won't be answered for another chapter or two. It's leaning towards a happy ending right now, but we'll just have to wait and see… **

**Off we go!**

**PS There will be lots of switching viewpoints in the next few chapters.**

**Also, whilst writing this chapter, I couldn't help but think of the music "To Die For" by Hans Zimmer (the music which plays during the Stampede in the film), so I brought it up on youtube and listened while I wrote. That's why I named the chapter after it, just in case you didn't see any relevance for this chapter name. I might change it later.**

Chapter Seventeen: To Die For

Mufasa leapt to his feet. He was not going to let those things at Nala, whatever they did. Once he had done this, he would find Scar, and get rid of him for good. This had gone on for too long, it would all be over by the end of the night. He looked around wildly for Nala, and finally found her. She was with Sarafina, but, to Mufasa's puzzlement, there were no hyenas lunging for her. What was going on? Scar had definitely said "Kill the Cub". Had the hyenas finally decided not to serve their insane master any longer?

Realisation hit him like a smack in the face. Scar had not been talking about Nala…

He looked up at Scar's den, and felt his heart drop. All of a sudden he was filled with fear and panic and an entire elixir of other emotions. The sentry hyena was gone, and so was the rock covering the entrance… sweet Aiheu… he had been talking about…

"Simba!"

He nearly began to cry aloud there and then, but didn't, because he was sprinting as fast as he could towards Scar's den. He would not let things come this far and then be in vain. He would not let Scar win. He didn't even know where he was, but he didn't care. He just needed to get to Simba before the hyena got him…

* * *

><p>Simba was pacing Scar's den, desperately trying to think of something, anything he could do to get out. His father was alive, and, according to Scar, anyway, had been working to get him out of here. He thought that his uncle had been successful in killing him, for real this time, but since learning that this was not the case, he was filled with hope. Hope that, maybe, just maybe, he might be able to see the outside world again. For six moons… six long and horrifying moons he had been in here, and the whole time he had been convinced that no one cared about him anymore. How wrong he had been.<p>

He jumped slightly when a scraping noise sounded, telling him the rock was being moved. He decided there and then to make a run for it. Scar was clever, but, if Simba was fast enough, he might not be able to react in time. He moved closer to the entrance, ready to make his break for freedom.

He leapt backwards when he saw who had been on the other side of the rock. It hadn't been Scar at all… but a hyena. A big, terrifying, and, most importantly, hungry hyena. Its eyes were so wide with desire that Simba could see the whites of its eyes, as well as the redness of its gums, the sharpness of its teeth… the hyena's saliva was dripping onto the floor. Scar had promised him a lion cub in return for his services as a guard, and now, six moons later, he was finally going to get one.

Simba was rooted to the spot with fear. Every ounce of bravery felt like it had been sucked out of him, leaving him with sheer terror. He did his best to remember his father's words, one of the last times he had spoken to him…

_I'm only brave when I have to be…_

He was trying, oh gods, he was trying. He had been trying for six moons to be brave in such adversity, to laugh in the face of danger like it was nothing. No matter what he tried now, though, it wasn't working.

The thing was coming closer all the time now, eyes fixated on him. He tried to rapidly think of a plan to get away from it, but his inspiration failed him. The hyena continued to laugh loudly, and then, without any forewarning, it pounced. It pinned Simba to the ground, and prepared to lunge for his neck…

Simba stared up at it. He had cheated death so many times before now, but he was sure his luck had finally run out. He screwed up his eyes, ready for the end.

What happened next could only be a miracle…

An explosive roar resounded around the den. It was the loudest thing Simba had ever heard in his entire life. Even louder than the exploding geysers in the elephant graveyard, louder than hundreds of stampeding wildebeests, louder than the shrieks of the out-of-control hyenas in their den. It could only be one thing, and it was the thing he had yearned for most of all for so long…

"Dad!"

* * *

><p>Mufasa was bounding up the stone steps towards Scar's lair, with only one thing on his mind. Get to Simba. A voice in the back of his head began to taunt him.<p>

"You're too late!" it screamed at him, "he's dead! You're too late!"

"No!" he cried out, audibly, "no, I'm not! I can't be!"

But what if he was? He would never be able to live with himself if he didn't make it in time. He skidded to a halt at the top of the steps, and stared in horror at what he was seeing. A humongous hyena was standing over his cub, pinning him to the ground with his paws, surely seconds away from biting his neck. The whole world seemed to move in slow motion. Mufasa's mouth opened, seemingly of its own accord, and a roar, so loud it seemed to wake the dead, exploded out of it. The hyena turned its head just as the lion flew at him, knocking him away from Simba and into the opposite wall. Under normal circumstances, the strongest member of the hyena pack and a heavily wounded Mufasa may have been evenly matched, but now, it was not the case. There was a fire in the lion's heart, and it burned with such ferocity that no one would have been able to stand against him. He bit and slashed at the hyena, who, try as he might, couldn't fight back. It cried and yelped, until, finally, it ceased. Mufasa had torn out its throat. The thing which had prevented him from seeing his son for so long, was finally dead, and now… Now he could finally go to him. He was filled with happiness, so much more so than he had been for a long time...

He was literally about to turn around, when something slammed into him from behind. It hit with such force that he hit the opposite wall, his head spinning. His vision blurred, but he could just make out the image of a dark maned lion.

"No! SCAR, NO!" he screamed, "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

His vision blackened momentarily.

_Get to Simba! _He thought, _Get to him right now!_

His sight returned, and he shakily stood up. He looked to where Simba was, and gasped loudly, out of fear and frustration and so much more...

Simba was gone, and so was Scar…


	19. Fight to the Finish

**Moons are months by the way, in case it wasn't clear. The moon goes through cycles of 28 days, and it looks different every night (full moon, half moon, crescent moon etc) This was what ancient civilisations used instead of dates, and I thought it would be appropriate for the story, seeing as lions don't have calendars. **

Chapter Eighteen: Fight to the Finish 

Mufasa was panicking now. Scar had Simba. He was going to kill him, no doubt about it. This thought alone made his heart beat faster, feeling so scared he might cry. No. There wasn't time. He had to get to him before Scar kil- he didn't even want to think about it. Leaving the dead hyena on the ground, he ran out of the den, and looked around to try and spot Scar or Simba. He couldn't see either of them, and the whole den was in chaos. Lionesses everywhere were locked in combat with hyenas, including Sarabi, Sarafina and a pregnant Arianna. There were many dead hyenas, and lots were running out of the den yelping in terror every few seconds. He couldn't see Ni either, but he couldn't stop to look for him. He had to find Simba.

Simba felt the weight of the hyena lift from him. He couldn't believe it, his father was here! Everything was going to be all right. He would maybe live to see another sunrise over the Pride Lands, after all. He quickly tried to get to his feet as he watched his father slashing at the hyena. Its body fell to the ground, and he made to walk towards him.

Before he could make a move, however, a huge body moved past him, knocking him aside. He lay, dazed for a few seconds, and tried to open his eyes. Just as he did, he was roughly seized around the neck and lifted off the ground. He cried out in fear and shock, struggling violently to get free from whoever had picked him up. As he was swinging around, he saw the dark fur of the lion who had lifted him. Scar. The adult lion turned to look at Mufasa, who was lying on the floor.

"No! NO SCAR!" he screamed, "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

He paid no attention, and instead swept out of the den, Simba still struggling in his massive jaw.

Simba had to squint his eyes when they left Scar's den, he wasn't used to so much light. It seemed to stream in through the entrance like it was coming directly from heaven. He looked around the interior of Pride Rock for the first time in six moons. It looked very much the same, except for the fact that it was now alive with battling hyenas and lionesses. The last time he had been here properly he had been happily bounding along next to his uncle Scar, anticipating the "special thing" he had in store for him. That was the last time Simba had felt completely happy, not a care or trouble in the world, and now, Uncle Scar was carrying him by the neck, making it hard to breathe.

As Scar was rapidly leaving the den, Simba saw his mother on the other side of it, fighting with a group of hyenas.

"Mom!" he cried, but Scar bit down harder into his neck, causing him to choke on his words. There was no way Sarabi had heard him.

They were moments from leaving the den, when suddenly something slammed into Scar from the side and Simba was flung away. He quickly got up and was about to run away when Scar grabbed him by the tail and dragged him across the floor towards him. The attacker had been Arianna.

"Let go of that cub!" she screamed at him.

"Stay out of this!" Scar bellowed back at her.

She leapt onto his back and started biting his shoulder. Scar roared in pain and threw her away, before seizing Simba and sprinting out of the den with him.

When they were outside, Simba could barely believe what he was seeing. The Pridelands had changed so much in six moons. Everything was dead. Everything. There wasn't anything living in sight He had barely enough time to take it all in, however, as Scar almost immediately bolted to the left, towards the western border. Simba struggled harder than ever against him, but once again, Scar was holding onto him way too tightly.

"This is it," thought Simba, "there's no way I'm getting out of this one…"

Nevertheless, he tried so hard to get free, desperate to get out of this terrible situation. He was sure of it now; he wanted to live more than anything. He wanted to catch up on everything he'd missed, grow up, rule the kingdom… he'd been alone in the dark for so long, but now… there seemed to be a tiny glimmer of hope. Tiny, yes, but still there….

And yet, Scar still had him, and it was getting harder and harder to take in any air, Scar was holding his neck so tightly he was constricting his wind-pipe. It seemed likely that he might suffocate him before long. Simba was just thinking this when, once again, there was a roar, and Scar was knocked sideways. He flew out of Scar's mouth and hit the ground, hard. A lion he had never seen before stood over him. Sweet Aiheu, what was happening now?

Scar quickly stood up.

"Get away from that cub, rogue, or I'll rip out your throat," he whispered, dangerously.

"No, Scar," the strange lion replied, "you're finished here. Now get going or I'll fight you again."

Scar didn't reply. He was seething with fury. There was absolutely no way that he was going to be foiled AGAIN. Least of all by this rogue, who he was absolutely sick of by now… though he knew that he had lost. Mufasa would certainly be King again by the end of the night… he would still try to hold on to his title, but it was a long shot. The least he could do for himself was kill this little brat… that would make him feel slightly better, anyway…

The rogue turned back to Simba.

"Run back to Pride Rock," he said quietly, "don't stop 'til you get there, and don't look back. I'll-"

He didn't finish. That small lapse of concentration was all that Scar needed. He had leapt on the stranger and began ruthlessly biting and slashing at him.

"GO, SIMBA! RUN!"

But Simba couldn't. He was rooted to the spot in total fear; it seemed his legs had ceased functioning. He just stared, horror struck, as Scar tore him apart… he was screaming in what must have been total agony, so much so that he couldn't fight back and defend himself from the brutal attack.

When at last it seemed that he was dead, Scar stopped. His entire face and paws were soaked in blood, and the ground around the attack was stained red. The adult lion's gaze suddenly snapped back to Simba, who began to back away slowly.

He cast a look behind him, was there still a chance he could make it back to Pride Rock without Scar catching up with him? It was a long shot. He was so weak from malnourishment and countless injuries…

He decided to chance it. He broke into a sprint as fast as his body would allow, running in the direction of Pride Rock: his home, his sanctuary, and the place where he might finally find peace and safety…

Suddenly, Scar was in front of him, eyes gleaming and claws unsheathed, ready for the kill. Simba wheeled around as fast as he could, and sprinted away in the other direction. He didn't know where he was going but he knew he had to get away from Scar, whatever it took. He ran past countless piles of bones and half rotten carcasses that the hyenas had left, he didn't even know where he was…

A giant paw smacked him aside, so that he sprawled across the ground. Scar had pinned him down once again.

"Now, now, Simba, the time for games is over…"

He sounded completely evil; it had consumed his entire being. His eyes were wider than ever, and he was intent on performing his deadly task.

"No one for you to hide behind now, eh?" Scar taunted, "Daddy's not here to save you this time, is he?"

This had to be it, Simba thought. There was no way he could be saved again… at least he could tell himself that he had tried to save himself… but, that wasn't good enough. He didn't want to die, now. He wanted to live more than anything. This time yesterday this would have been all he had wanted, but now… no. But, there was nothing he could do about it now, he had mere seconds to live…

"I don't want to die…" he whispered to himself, so quietly that Scar did not hear him.

And then, in a sudden, all he knew was explosive agony. Scar had grabbed him around the neck, and was biting down as hard as he could.

All thought had left him, he was just crying out, louder than ever. This was pain like he had never felt it before. Six moons of being battered around could not compare to this… tears were streaming from his eyes, and he choked for air. He prayed for it to end soon, but it went on for what seemed years. Finally, his vision blackened, and he felt no more.

Mufasa was sprinting towards the western border as fast as he could. Scar's scent, mingled with Simba's, was stronger than ever, they must have only been here a minute ago.

He ran for what seemed miles, following the trail. It was then that he realised, there was another scent mixed in with theirs. He stopped for barely a second to comprehend who's it was. He finally worked it out, and ran onward, but stopped only a few seconds later. He stared in horror at what lay before him.

Ni lay on the ground, in a great pool of him own blood, motionless.

"No…" Mufasa mumbled under his breath, "NO!"

He dashed over to the fallen lion.

"Please… please, no! Ni!"

He looked into his eyes, they were still open…

"don't stop…" Ni whispered, "go to your son… please…."

"Ni, I can't leave you!"

"Simba needs you…" he continued, "I tried to save him, but…Scar got me first. Don't let him get to him, too…"

Mufasa stared at him, desperately. He didn't know what to do. Should he leave his friend here to bleed to death, or let his son suffer the same fate?

He tore his eyes away from Ni, and followed the trail of bloody paw prints to where he would undoubtedly find Scar, and Simba.

He rounded a corner, and skidded to a halt, staring at the scene before him. Scar, his face absolutely drenched in blood, holding a seemingly lifeless lion cub in his jaws, stood metres away from him.

"SCAR!"

Once again, the world succumbed into slow motion. He was running at him, roaring and growling with a ferocity he didn't know he had in him. Scar dropped Simba to the ground, and ran in the direction of Pride Rock. This was a fight he knew he would never win. But, the cub was dead for sure, and that was good enough for him.

"FIGHT BACK, YOU COWARD! FIGHT BACK!" he could hear Mufasa screaming behind him. He knew his brother wouldn't stop until he was dead…

Suddenly he had leapt on top of him, and started biting into his neck. He was so much bigger than Scar, he was crushing him. He shook Mufasa off as hard as he could, and sprinted back towards Pride Rock. He would get the hyenas to retreat with him, return to the outlands, think of a way to get back on top once again. After all, they no longer had Simba as an incentive…

He skidded into the den, Mufasa hot on his heels. There were barely any hyenas left.

"Retrea-" he began, but Mufasa crashed into him, flipped him onto his back, and glared down at him, teeth bared in a furious snarl. Scar knew it himself; he was going to die for sure...

"Are you going to kill me, Mufasa?" he asked, only the slightest bit of defiance in his voice.

Mufasa stared at him for several seconds. He stopped baring his teeth.

"No, Scar," he finally said, "I'm not like you."

Scar let out a sigh of relief.

"But," he suddenly continued, "you're to get out of here. And take those things with you. Never show your face in these Pride Lands again."

He got off of his brother, who slowly stood up. He motioned for the hyenas to follow him.

"Arianna, come!"

"No, Scar!"

Everyone turned, and stared. Arianna defiantly stood there, glaring at Scar, the lion who had ruined her life…

"What do you mean no?" Scar asked, dumbfounded, "you have to; my cubs are in your belly!"

"And they will never know of you," she boldly replied, "I'll make absolutely sure of it. And if they ever ask about you I'll just tell them that their father was a lion who did some horrific things to everyone he ever met."

It seemed that she had finally overcome him. The person who had manipulated and controlled her every living moment was no longer able to. Mufasa smiled at her briefly, before turning triumphantly back to Scar.

"Just go, brother."

Scar was once again seething. Now that Arianna refused to go with him, his anger had returned.

He looked straight into his brothers eyes.

"This isn't over."

And, with that, he left the den, the hyenas in tow. Mufasa walked to the end of Pride Rock to watch them go, to make sure they were completely gone this time. The small group headed towards the northern border, and he watched them until he couldn't see them anymore.

The sun was setting over the Pridelands, which at long last had been liberated from its cruel and heartless ruler. Peace had been restored, and now Mufasa could begin to rebuild the destruction that Scar had left behind. It felt good to know he was in charge again, and would use his power for good, and not evil.

As he was basking in the triumph, he was brought sharply back to reality, and he remembered.

Simba.


	20. Lament of a Father

**EDIT: YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE IMMENSE TROUBLE IT TOOK TO UPLOAD THIS TODAY.**

**I started it on my Mum's laptop, using Word 2010. My sister kicked me off it because she's job hunting at the minute, so I went to use the down stairs computer. I plug in my memory stick, go to open the document in word 2003 and -BLAM- DOCX! NON READABLE EXCEPT IN COMPUTER JUMBLED UP LANGUAGE! I spend 30 mins plus looking for converters, finally found one, and then it took another hour to convert it and finish the chapter. But, it's here anyway, so...**

**-END EDIT-**

**Hey all! This is the penultimate chapter (the one before the last)! I really can't believe it. Lots of people are saying that they will miss reading it, well, I'm going to miss writing it! Though this is far from the last fic I will write, I feel an attachment to this one. I don't know why…**

**Remember how I said all those chapters ago that I would rewrite chapter 8? Well, I will, once I've finished the last chapter.**

**And finally, Johnny2b made a good point about time passage. Here's my response and explanation:**

**Well, to be honest, I don't think it matters that it doesn't make factual sense. If you think about it, The Lion King itself makes very little sense. Zazu, Timon and Pumbaa would have been eaten long before they ever made friends with Lions, Mufasa and Scar would have held a united front in leading the pride, the Zebras, elephants etc. would never have accepted the lions as their "rulers"… the list is endless. But, it doesn't matter. It's an excellent movie and I wouldn't have it any other way. I saw Simba as being 2-3 months old when this fic started, but as I already stated that this isn't going to be completely factually accurate, let's just say lions stay cubs for longer in the lion king universe…**

**BUT ANYWAY! Enough blethering, enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter Nineteen: Lament of a Father

Once again, Mufasa found himself running towards the western border, half wanting and half not wanting to see his son. Part of him was desperate to find out if he was OK, and the other was terrified of what he would find when he got there. He certainly hadn't looked OK, hanging out of Scar's mouth. Of the entire horrific scene, the thing that stuck out in Mufasa's mind the most was the blood. Scar's face and paws had been covered in it… the innocent blood of both Simba and Ni.

Mufasa prayed the whole way that the gods would spare his son. The thought that he might be dead made a lump form in his throat, and his legs began to wobble. He shook his head hard and told himself that everything would be fine. He didn't even believe himself, and the taunting voice returned.

"He's dead! You might as well go home!"

"I don't know that!"

"Don't you? It seems more than likely, doesn't it?"

He tried and tried to ignore himself, but nothing worked. His brain just continued to torment him.

Mufasa came to Ni's motionless body, and looked down on him, sadly. His blood was pooled around him in a gruesome fashion, like a scene from a horror film. He knew he didn't have time to stay here and stare at him, but he couldn't help him. Ni hadn't been that much younger than him, but still had his entire life ahead of him. His life with Sarafina, with his cubs, and what he and Mufasa could do together… he had envisioned the two of them leading the Pride as one, fighting off adversity and rogues alike. But that would never happen now. Scar had made sure of that.

Mufasa didn't like to stay and look at him anymore, and hurried on to find his son.

Finally, he reached the clearing where he would find Simba. On the far side of it, there lay a heap of golden fur. Could it even count as gold, anymore Mufasa wondered. It was covered in dust and cuts, bearing the marks of six moons worth of horror. His legs shook as he quickly ran over to him. There was no doubt that Simba wasn't moving.

"Help… somebody, anybody…" Mufasa muttered wildly as he approached him. He was terrified to even check if he was alive…

Summoning up every ounce of bravery he had, he nudged the cub before him, the first contact they had had in six moons…

"Simba?"

There was no answer.

"Simba?" he asked again, nudging harder, "can you hear me?"

Still, he did not stir.

"Simba!" he cried out, loudly, doing his best to get a response, "it's Dad! Please speak to me!"

In desperation, he pushed him onto his back and pressed his ear to his tiny chest, straining to hear the faintest trace of a heartbeat.

All he could hear was the unending silence.

Mufasa stared down at Simba, the pace of his breathing increasing by the second. He looked around him in desperation, looking for what he did not know. He wildly hoped that a solution would present itself to him from nowhere, but it was no use. He was alone in the clearing. He tried to nudging him, nipping him on the tail, shaking him… but nothing worked. It was hopeless.

Finally, he collapsed onto the ground and wailed his grief into the sky…

"S-Simba!" he sobbed, "m-my son! My little s-s-son! No!"

He cradled Simba's lifeless body in his paws, and licked the top of his head.

"If only I had been quicker…" he whispered between tears, "Simba… f-forgive me!"

He felt his tears would never stop falling, and the sorrow would never leave him. Staring down at Simba, there were two perfect little teeth marks on his neck where Scar had bitten him, and there were little trickles of dried blood coming out of them, and they had dribbled onto his body. Mufasa began to lick him all over, as Sarabi had always done, to clean away all the blood and dust that stuck to him. When he had finally finished, Simba looked more like himself, apart from the scores that covered his entire body. Looking at him, Mufasa trembled with grief and an unyielding rage. Rage at Scar for having done this, rage at Aiheu and the gods for taking Simba away from him... and at himself for allowing it to happen…

As he collapsed into fresh tears, he thought of Sarabi. Oh gods… what would she be like if he were like this? He didn't like to think about it, and instead laid his head on the ground beside Simba's body, mourning the loss of his only son.

After what seemed hours, he sat up. He would have to face the pride sooner or later, and Sarabi would doubtless be going frantic back at Pride Rock. He decided sooner would be better, and made to stand up, a final tear splashing down onto Simba's fur.

And then, something happened. Something that filled him with hope. Feeble as it was, it was still there.

"Dad?"

Mufasa gasped, and quickly looked down. Simba was gazing up at him, a look of utmost concern on his face.

Oh Gods, _he was alive!_

Mufasa couldn't even speak, he was so shocked. Thank Aiheu! His prayers had been answered!

Without saying a word, he pulled Simba towards him, and, wrapping a paw around his little body, began to nuzzle him. The one thing he had longed to do for so long.

"I thought I'd lost you…" he whispered.

The two of them remained like that for some time, holding onto each other, not wanting to let go. But, really, who could blame them? Suddenly, Mufasa broke away and looked up to the sky. A little drop of water had just landed on his nose. Simba looked up too, and a drop landed on his face. Soon, the rain was lashing down onto the parched earth, as if to wash away six moons worth of suffering…

Simba looked at his father's face. There were drops of water running down it, but they weren't just rain drops…

"Dad, are you crying?"

Mufasa looked at him.

"Yes, Simba, I am."

"Why? Are you sad?"

Mufasa took a little moment to answer, and pulled Simba in closer to him.

"No, I'm just so happy."

And then, smiling, he said, "let's go home."

* * *

><p>"<em>Like a river to a raindrop, I lost a friend<em>_  
><em>_My drunken as a Daniel in a lion's den_

_And tonight I know it all has to begin again  
>So whatever you do, don't let go<em>

_And if we could float away_  
><em>Fly up to the surface and just start again<em>  
><em>And lift off before trouble<em>  
><em>Just erodes us in the rain"<em>

-Coldplay, Us Against the World

* * *

><p>As the two of them walked back towards Pride Rock, it was as if they had never been apart. Everything that happened between them was completely natural, and nothing had changed. They were just grateful to see each other again.<p>

And as they were walking, they encountered Ni's body, but with a crucial difference. He was coughing.

"Ni!" Mufasa cried, running over to him, "you're alive!"

"Not for much longer…" he replied quietly. Looking at him, Mufasa knew that he was right. There was a gaping wound in his neck, and it was still bleeding.

He cast a look behind him.

"Simba," he said, "this is Ni. He's Nala's father."

Simba just stared at him. This lion was dying for sure, and he had witnessed his fate coming into action.

"We've met," Ni said, "I'm glad we could, at last."

Watching his friend and his son, Mufasa knew that Ni had been pivotal in rescuing Simba. Had he not stalled Scar like he had, he might have killed Simba before Mufasa had got to him. Thank heavens he had, but now he was paying with his life.

"Do me a favour will you?" Ni asked.

"Yes?"

"Tell Sarafina I love her."

"Of course."

"And tell Nala… I'm sorry I couldn't have gotten to know her better."

Mufasa nodded.

"Any one more thing."

"What?"

"…stay with me."

Mufasa looked at him sadly. He had perhaps a few minutes left to live.

"Until the end."

And they did, until he breathed his last.

* * *

><p><strong>I'd rather not have to explain this, but some people are picky, so I have to.<strong>

**Some of you are probably thinking, surely Simba would be dead from a bite to the neck like that?**

**Well, in real life, yes! In real life we would currently be mourning the loss of an excellent character. But, no. This is fanFICTION. My explanation is the following. It may not be logical, but it is the "official" reason, anyway.**

**So, Simba passed out from pain, and when he did, Scar assumed he was dead (and that was also when Mufasa showed up) so stopped. He stopped before he had done enough damage to kill him, so therefore he is alive. AND AREN'T YOU GLAD?**

**Also, you have readsmanyfavsfew to thank for Ni's death. Originally he was supposed to survive, but when they suggested I write both a sad and happy ending, I decided to kill him instead. Hope you're all OK with this. Sure, it would be better if he survived, but I'm just not that kind.**

**And one last thing. Ever notice how I've injected Coldplay lyrics into multiple chapters? Well, they're my favourite band ever, and I was listening to their new album when I was writing this chapter, and the lyrics for "Us Against the World" seemed to fit the mood pretty well. I didn't put them at the start for fear of spoiling it!**


	21. An Emotional Reunion

**So, here we go. This is the very last Chapter of "Captive". I'll save all my "Thank yous" and what not to the end, kay?**

Chapter Twenty: An emotional reunion

The father and son continued towards Pride Rock, much quieter than before. It was the first time Simba had witnessed death in real life, and it had been horribly gut-wrenching for him. He felt a twinge of guilt, was it his fault that Nala's father was now dead? It seemed that way, he had been trying to save him at the time…

"Dad?"

"Yes, Simba?"

The cub paused before continuing.

"…is it my fault?"

"Is what your fault?"

"…You know…"

Mufasa was shocked. Why did Simba feel this way?

"No! Scar – Scar did that! Why would you think-?"

"He was trying to help me!"

Mufasa leaned in close to his son.

"Listen," he said, gently, "none of this is your fault. Scar did everything. You couldn't possibly stop him."

Simba wasn't looking at him. Instead he stared at the ground.

"Look at me, Simba."

He did. Looking him deep in the eyes, Mufasa could see. Something had changed. The eyes that had once been bright and curious… now they were dull and had no spark. Sweet Aiheu, what had Scar done to him?

"You've done nothing wrong. Okay?"

Simba nodded feebly. It was clear that he didn't believe him.

Sighing inwardly, Mufasa continued towards Pride Rock, Simba in tow.

They got there some time later. Simba was still very weak, and couldn't walk as fast as the adult lion. Mufasa, too, was still slightly fragile from his own injuries from the previous day. When they reached the foot of Pride Rock, it became apparent that Simba wouldn't be able to clamber up the rocks like he had before. Mufasa lifted him gently in his mouth. Every bone and rib on Simba's body was visible, and Mufasa's jaws could nearly close completely around his tiny body. His son was badly damaged; who knew how long it would take him to recover, if ever. And what about the psychological scars? He wondered if Simba would ever be his old self again. The sudden change in his personality had been frightening to Mufasa, and his hatred towards Scar raged on. This was entirely his fault. Mufasa had let him go! Why he hadn't just finished him off, like he had tried to do to him several times, was beyond him. And what did he mean by "this isn't over"? Would he come back?

As these questions whirled around and around Mufasa's head, they had reached the entrance to the den. Placing Simba on the floor, he looked around for Sarabi. A few seconds later, there was a gasp, so loud that it echoed around the whole den. Everyone was looking at Simba, who they hadn't seen for so long. They were all shocked at the state he was in. He bore the signs of Scar's anger at the world, and probably would for a long time yet.

Suddenly, the crowd of lions parted, and, wide eyed at the back of the den, was Sarabi. She was staring at her cub in disbelief. Simba stared back, and took a shaky step towards her. In an instant, Sarabi was bounding across the den, and Simba was moving as fast as his fragile body would allow. They met in the middle of the den, and Sarabi collapsed onto the floor, sobbing her heart out and nuzzling him for all she was worth. For so long, this had been all she had wanted. She never thought she would be able to.

Mufasa watched his little family before him, quite forgetting that anyone else was there. Yet, suddenly, Sarafina was in front of him, and Mufasa felt his heart sink. He knew what her question was before she said anything, and she knew the answer just by looking at his face. Her eyes shone with tears, and they spilled over when she shut her eyes.

"He," Mufasa began, "he wanted me to tell you something."

"W-what?"

He looked her deep in the eyes.

"He loves you."

Fresh tears began to pour from her eyes, as she slowly began to walk towards Nala and Mheetu. She pulled them close to her, and silently looked on as Simba and Sarabi continued their emotional reunion.

Mufasa walked over to them, and nuzzled Sarabi on the top of her head. Simba was clinging to her as though he would never let go. She looked up at her mate, and her eyes were filled with tears of joy, but they faltered slightly when she saw Mufasa's solemn face. She shot him a questioning look, and he indicated towards Sarafina, who was still crying. Sarabi understood in an instant. She had seen Ni leave the den.

She stood up to go to her, causing a cry to emit from Simba.

"It's okay, honeytree, I'm still here."

She walked to where Sarafina sat, Simba pressed tightly against her foreleg the entire time, and tried to comfort her.

That night in the den, as the pride slept, the silence was suddenly broken by a shrill cry. It rent the air, and everyone woke at the sound of it. Mufasa's head shot up from his paws, and he saw where the disturbance was coming from. Simba, lying between him and Sarabi, was thrashing around on the floor, screaming from what sounded like excruciating pain. A frantic Sarabi was desperately trying to wake him up, but he wouldn't respond to anything she said or did.

Mufasa tried to nudge him with his nose, but he curled up into a tight ball and continued to cry out.

"NO! PLEASE! DON'T HURT ME! PLEASE!"

"Simba?"

"STOP! PLEASE! DON'T!"

He began sobbing hysterically, still oblivious to the actions of his parents. Mufasa glanced at Sarabi. She had tears pouring from her eyes as she tried to wake her cub. In a sudden, Simba's head shot up off the floor, his eyes wide, his body shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.

Knowing he needed to calm down, Mufasa stood up.

"Come on, Simba," he said.

"W-w-where are we g-going?" Simba stammered, staring up at him.

"Outside."

The cub scrambled to his feet, and followed his father out of the den, to the edge of Pride Rock. The rain had stopped, and the clouds had cleared, leaving the moon to shine down over the landscape.

Mufasa sat down on the edge of the promontory. He looked down at Simba.

"Breathe," he said, gently.

He waited a while until Simba's jagged breaths became more even.

"What happened?"

"He…" his breathing began to quicken again.

"It's okay. Calm down."

Simba composed himself before continuing.

"He was just… there. He was everywhere… he wouldn't stop-"

He broke down in tears at the memory.

Mufasa put a paw around Simba, and pulled him in close.

"What if he comes back for me?"

He voiced a concern that had been on Mufasa's mind too. What if Scar did come back?

"He won't," he said, though he wasn't sure.

"How do you know that? You don't know for sure…"

Simba began to shake again.

"Listen to me, Simba. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, no matter who it is. Not ever again. Do you hear me?"

The cub gave a sniff, "I guess so."

After a few moments of silence, he spoke again.

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

And the two of them sat for over an hour, just looking up at the sky. It was just like old times, but Mufasa knew, the old times were gone. The last six moons had changed everyone and everything. As he carried the now sleeping Simba back into the den, and lay down on the floor, one last thought entered his mind.

Even after all that they had been through, things were going to get better. He knew they would.

**And…. There we have it! "Captive" is finished! This is by far the longest thing I've written, ever, and thanks to everyone who read and reviewed it! Thanks to Disney and the makers of the Lion King for making one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen, and inspiring this fic ( I DON'T OWN TLK! Forgot to mention!)**

**And now for a little announcement. I have been considering for a long time. Think about it, I had always planned for Scar to say, "I'll be back". Arianna is still pregnant, we want to know if Simba will recover, so…**

**THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL!**

**I've been considering it for a long time. I haven't finished working out the plot/title etc. yet so I can't say when it will be out, but it will be the next thing I do (a couple of people who have me on author alert will get a lovely little e-mail saying when!)**

**Well, I'm off to hit the COMPLETE button.**

**This is NinaRoja, singing off.**


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